A cytogenetic study of two species of Hispinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Abstract

In a cytogenetic analysis of two Hispinae leaf beetles, Leptispa filiformis (Germar) from South Spain and Uroplata nigritarsis (Weise) from Uruguay, the former has a meioformula of 15 + XY, the highest number found among hispines. The latter displays 9 + Xy(p) in agreement with two other species of the same tribe. The DNA content of Feulgen-stained spermatids is 0.46 pg in Leptispa filiformis and 0.91 pg in Uroplata nigritarsis. The cytogenetic variation among hispines is briefly discussed.