Karyotype study of eight species of anastrepha (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

The karyotypes of eight species of Anastrepha (Diptera: Tephritidae) are described on the basis of mitotic metaphase morphology. The species studied were: A. bamesi, A. bistrigfita, A. fraterculus, A. obliqua, A. pickeli, A. pseudoparallela, A. serpentina and A. striata. The most frequent diploid number is 2n = 12, with the exception of A. pickeli (2n = 8) and the males of A. bistrigata and A. serpentina in which an X1 X2 Y sex determining mechanism results is 2n = 11. The Brazilian species could be identified on the basis of chromosome morphology with the exception of A. fraterculus in which four distinghishable karyotypes were found. The differences in those karyotypes suggest that they represent sibling species. The metaphase chromosomes of Anastrepha can be used to improve the taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of the genus. © 1987 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.