First cytogenetic study of Cavernicola pilosa Barber, 1937 (Hemiptera, Triatominae)

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Cavernicola pilosa is a triatomine species that lives in caves and feeds on bat blood. This vector has a wide geographical distribution, and is found in Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Little is known about the reproductive biology of this species, because most previous studies have only characterized its morphology, morphometry, ecology, and epidemiology. Therefore, this study aimed to obtain preliminary data related to spermatogenesis in C. pilosa by conducting cytogenetic analysis. Analysis of the heterochromatic pattern of C. pilosa during the initial prophases revealed that heterochromatic blocks are only present in the sex chromosomes. Based on the analyses of the meiotic metaphase and prophases, we found that the sex determination system of C. pilosa is XY and the chromosomes are holocentric. C. pilosa spermatids are filamentous and have long flagella. It was not possible to detect corpuscle 13890 E.S. Souza et al.©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 14 (4): 13889-13893 (2015) or filament heteropycnosis in spermatids of this species. The initial cytogenetic data presented in this study are important in characterizing the spermatogenesis and heterochromatic patterns of C. pilosa. Our results suggest that adaptation to troglodytism did not result in differences in spermatogenesis in this vector.

Karyotype Evolution of Chagas Disease Vectors (Hemiptera, Triatominae)

“…However, as Cavernicolini was presented as a sister tribe to Rhodniini and all Rhodnius (15 of the 20 species) and Psammolestes (two of the three species) species analyzed have 2n = 22 (20A + XY), 3,9 we suggest that all species of the tribes Rhodniini and Cavernicolini have 22 chromosomes. A recent cytogenetic study of Cavernicola pilosa (Barber, 1937) suggests that this species has an XY sex-determination system, 14 supporting our hypothesis.…”

Sperm dimorphism in the Triatoma brasiliensis species complex and its applications

“…This is the first study of sperm morphometry in this Triatominae subfamily as most previous analyses in triatomines have related to the morphology and heteropyknotic patterns of the sperm and spermatids of these vectors (Alevi et al ., 2013, 2014a, 2014b; Souza et al ., ; Ravazi et al ., ).…”

“…Therefore, knowledge of sperm morphology in the Triatominae may contribute to the study of the T. brasiliensis species complex and may be further used in phylogenetic analyses of Heteroptera. This is the first study of sperm morphometry in this Triatominae subfamily as most previous analyses in triatomines have related to the morphology and heteropyknotic patterns of the sperm and spermatids of these vectors (Alevi et al, 2013(Alevi et al, , 2014a(Alevi et al, , 2014bSouza et al, 2015;Ravazi et al, 2016).…”