Cytogenetic profiling of Oniticellus pallipes (Scarabaeinae: Scarabaeidat: Coleoptera) from Kurukshetra, Haryana, India Kaur Paramjeet*, Yadav A.S. Department of Zoology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra - 136 119, Haryana, India *Corresponding authors' E-mail : paramjeet.jaidka@gmail.com
Online published on 20 December, 2024. Abstract The study examined the chromosomal architecture and dynamics of Oniticellus pallipes from the Scarabaeinae subfamily belongs to Scarabaeidae family, employing traditional Giemsa staining for morphological analysis, silver staining to identify nucleolar organizer regions (NORs), and C-banding for constitutive heterochromatin visualization. The observed karyotype featured a Modal Chromosome Number (MCN) of 2n = 20, with a meioformula of 9AA + Xyp. In line with traits typical of the Scarabaeinae subfamily, the chromosomes of Oniticellus pallipes predominantly exhibited metacentric and submetacentric shapes. Constitutive heterochromatin (CH) analysis highlighted significant chromosomal segments in the pericentric areas of spermatogonial metaphase and the dumbbell-shaped bivalents terminal areas during metaphase I. Silver staining identified dense spots during the zygotene phase of prophase I, linked to nucleolar organizer regions. The chiasma frequency and terminalisation coefficient indicated a significant correlation between Oniticellus pallipes and other Scarabaeinae subfamily species. Ultimately, the karyotypic analysis underscored the conservative nature of the Scarabaeinae subfamily and concluded that chromosomal structural modifications, centromere positions, constitutive heterochromatin distribution patterns, and NORs positioning are crucial for understanding the phylogenetic relationships among beetles and other insect groups. Top Keywords Chromosomes, Karyomorphometry, Karyotype, Oniticellus pallipes, Scarabaeniae. Top |