Abstract
Notes on karyotypic morphology are given for ten South American species of the dragonfly family Libellulidae that were either cytologically little known or not studied previously, viz. Dasythemis venosa (Burm.) (Brasil, n=13), Orthemis ferruginea (Fab.) (Peru, n=12), Micrathyria laevigata Calv. (Brasil, n=13), Erythrodiplax cleopatra Ris (Peru, n=13), E. connata connata (Burm.) (Chile, n=12). E. media Borror (Brasil, n=11), E. melanorubra Borror (Venezuela, n=13), Dythemis velox Hag. (Peru, n=13), Macrothemis declivata Calv. (Brasil, n=12) and M. imitans imitans Karsch (Brasil, n=13). A pair (bivalent) of m-chromosomes is present in all species.
Orthemis is the only genus in the family with n=12 or a derivative of it, met with in all species. This number is considered primary rather than secondary. As seen from pronounced variations in cytogenetic structure of its members, the genus appears genetically unstable, while the low recombination indices in all species may serve a need for biological stability.
The cytophylogenetic history of the connata group of Erythrodiplax is discussed.
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Kiauta, B., Boyes, J.W. Cytology of ten South American Libellulidae, with cytophylogenetic considerations on the genera Orthemis Hagen and Erythrodiplax Brauer (Odonata, Anisoptera). Genetica 43, 407–421 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00156136
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00156136