Spermatocyte chromosomes of five lycaenid butterflies of Japan (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)

5 Pages·1993·1.6 MB·English

by  Kazuo Saitoh

.
Notalepid. 16(1): 63-67 ; 31.VII.1993 ISSN 0342-7536
Spermatocyte chromosomes offive lycaenid butterflies
ofJapan (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)
Kazuo Saitoh* & MayumiTakahashi**
* DepartmentofBiology.HirosakiUniversity.Hirosaki,036Japan
** 5-13-11,Kita-andô,Shizuoka.420Japan
Summary
SpermatocytechromosomesintestissectionsoffiveJapaneseLycaenidaetaxa
have been examined. Two of these five taxa are characterised by an n, 24-
karyotype. The chromosome constitution ofthe two allied taxaofNarathura
studiedis markedlydistinct : n, 14and24,respectively.
Résumé
Les auteurs ont étudié les chromosomes des spermatocytes dans des coupes
detesticulesdecinqtaxonsdeLycaenidaejaponaises. Deuxdecescinqtaxons
se caractérisent par un caryotype n, 24. La constitution chromosomique des
deuxtaxonsvoisinsde Narathuraestnettementdifférente:n, 14et24.
Recently, Saitoh et al. (1991) made achromosome survey in eight taxa
ofthe Lycaenidae ofJapan. The present study is its continuation and
this paper reports some chromosomal aspects of five other taxa of
Japanese lycaenids. Previously, the number of haploid chromosomes
was preliminarily recorded by Maeki (1953) for two of these five,
CureusacutaparacutaNiceville, 1901 and Narathurajaponicajaponica
(Murray, 1875). Chromosomes of the remaining three, Narathura
bazalus turbata (Butler, 1882), Panchala ganesa loomisi (H. Pryer,
1886) and Lycaeides argyrognomonpraeterinsularis (Verity, 1921), are
studied hereforthefirst time.
Materialand methods
Testes of adults were fixed in Allen's PEA.-3 mixture and testis
sections, 10 urn in thickness, were stained with Heidenhain's iron-
haematoxylin. The scientific names revised by Inomata (1990) are used
in this paper. The localities and the details ofchromosome counts are
shown inTable 1
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Observations
As shown in the table, the haploid chromosome numbers established
range from 14 to 32. Variation in the haploid number of each taxon
is not observed. The inspected specimens of C. acutaparacuta and the
Narathura taxa from two or three localities did not show any inter-
population differences in chromosome number (Table 1). The haploid
numbers ofthe Narathurataxaare markedly distinct ; 14 in N. bazalus
turbata and 24 in N. j. japonica. No chromosomes with remarkable
behaviourareobservedinthepresentmaterial. Metaphasechromosomes
assume a round, or somewhat oval shape in polar view, as usually
seen in testis sections of lepidopterans. Representative metaphase
configurations ofeach taxon are shown in Figs 1-6. Occurrence oftwo
small-sized elements is always observed in N. bazalus turbata : their
distinction is easy especially in the second division (Fig. 3). Such
elements are not observed inthe haploid complement ofN.j.japonica.
In Panchala ganesa loomisi, several (four or five) elements are larger
in size than the rest(Fig. 5).
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Figs 1-6. Spermatocyte chromosomes offive lycaenid butterflies ofJapan. 1. Curetis
a53..cuSPtaaanmpceahraalscpaeuctgiaae,sn,feisrssatedclioovnoimdsiisodini,v(infs,iirs2ot9n)d(i;nv2,i.sNi1oa4n)ra;(tnh4,.ur3N2a.)bj;a.z6a.jlaLupysocntaiuecriabd,aetsaf,irasfrtirgstdyirdvioivgsiinsooinomno((nnn,,p2r14a4))e-;;
terinsularis,firstdivision(n,24).Scalebarrepresentsca.5urn.
65
Remarks
The present study confirms the haploid numbers of C. acutaparacuta
(29) and N.j.japonica(24) recorded by Maeki(1953). It is well-known
that the two taxa of Narathura examined in the present study and
PanchaJa ganesa loomisi are similar in external appearance. In fact,
they had all once been treated as members of the genus Arhopala.
The present study, however, demonstrates that their chromosome
ctohnestaimtouutinotn oisfsnturcilkeiangrlyICdisDtiNncAt (mTiagbhlte f1u;rtFhiegrsh2e-l5p).tMheeapshuyrloeamneanltysiosf
ofthese three taxa. The Australian relative, Narathura micale amphis,
has an n, 24 ((^-karyotype (Maeki and Ogata, 1971). Thus, two
divergent haploid numbers, 14 and 24, have hitherto been recorded
for the genus Narathura which comprises a large number of species
of similar appearance, Therefore, investigation of the karyotypes of
additional taxa of this genus is necessary. The haploid number, 14,
of N. bazalus turbata is the lowest in the lycaenids of Japan which
havebeencytologicallyexamined. The haploid number, 24, iscommon
to the studied members ofLycaeides(Lorkovic, 1941 de Lesse, 1960
Maeki & Remington, 1960). It is regarded as a modal;haploid number;
ofthefamily Lycaenidae.
In comparison with this modal number (24), increased (29 and 32),
or decreased (14) numbers of haploid chromosomes have been noted
in three of the five lycaenids studied here (Table 1). Such numerical
deviations might be anindication oftheir phylogenetic peculiarity.
Acknowledgements
Mr. T. Nakamura of the Entomological Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture
at KyushuUniversitykindlytookthetroubletofixsometestesforthepresent
study.
References
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