Cytogenetic characterization of two species of Frieseomelittaihering, 1912 (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini)

Abstract

The cytogenetic analysis of Frieseomelitta disparand F. francoirevealed the chromosome numbers 2n = 30 and n =15 and a karyotypic formula 2K = 4M+2Mt+4A+20AM. The number of chromosomes observed was consistent with those reported for other Frieseomelittaspecies. The occurrence of the Mt chromosome and other features of the karyotype formulae suggest a close relationship betweenF. dispar, F.francoiand F. varia. Nevertheless, it was possible to differentiate the karyotypes of the species by DAPI/CMA3 staining, which revealed GC-rich regions on two chromosome pairs of F. dispar: one acrocentric and one pseudoacrocentric. In F. francoi,the same kinds of regions were observed on a pair of metacentrics and on a pair of acrocentrics. Our analysis also confirmed the chromosome number conservation in Frieseomelitta and suggests that infrequent pericentric inversion could constitute a synapomorphy for the group including F. dispar, F. francoi,and F. varia. © 2011, Sociedade Brasileira de Genética.