Description of the pre-reductional sex chromosome during male meiosis of Pachylis laticornis (Heteroptera: Coreidae).

In Heteroptera, the division of sex chromosomes is well defined as post-reductional for most of species, i.e., the first meiotic division is equational and the second is reductional. However, in some species pre-reductional division has been observed, whereby the first meiotic division is reductional and the second is equational. These include Anisops fieberi (Notonectidae), Ectrychotes disparate (Reduviidae), Dictyonota tricornis (Tingidae), and Archimerus alternatus (Coreidae), as well as other species of the genus Pachylis, in the family Coreidae. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the meiotic behavior of Pachylis laticornis, in order to consider whether this species also undergoes pre-reduction division for the sex chromosomes. Cytogenetic analysis of meiosis in P. laticornis made it possible to characterize the holocentric nature of the chromosomes, the chromosome number of this species [2n = 15 (2m + 12A + X0)], the chromosomal system of sex X0 type, and the presence of m-chromosomes. Furthermore, the analysis of anaphase I, telophase I and II allowed pre-reductional meiotic behavior to be observed for this sex chromosome. Thus, this meiotic behavior was confirmed for another species of Heteroptera, stressing the importance of more cytogenetic studies of meiosis to increase our understanding of variation in the behavior of sex chromosomes during spermatogenesis in heteropterans. Therefore, the present study describes the chromosomal number, the system of sex determination, and meiotic behavior of P. laticornis, corroborating the relationship of this species with others of the same genus.