Open Access
How to translate text using browser tools
1 December 2014 Banding Patterns of Three Leafcutter Ant Species of the Genus Atta (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) and Chromosomal Inferences
Luísa Antônia Campos Barros, Gisele Amaro Teixeira, Hilton Jeferson Alves Cardoso De Aguiar, Cléa Dos Santos Ferreira Mariano, Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie, Silvia Das Graças Pompolo
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Among Neotropical ants, the genera Acromyrmex and Atta are of great importance because they include the major agricultural pest species. Regarding the genus Atta, considered one of the most derived of the tribe Attini, cytogenetic data exists for 5 taxa that present 2n = 22 chromosomes; however, information regarding banding patterns is only available for Atta colombica. Cytogenetics has contributed to several aspects related to the family Formicidae, in particular to the understanding of its evolution. Therefore, the aim of this study was to increase the cytogenetic data on Atta sexdens rubropilosa, Atta laevigata and Atta bisphaerica belonging to populations in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The 3 species were characterized as having 2n = 22 chromosomes with a karyotypic formula of 2n = 18m 2sm 2st. Using the C-banding technique, small heterochromatic markings were observed in the centromeres of most of the chromosomes. The presence of GC-rich blocks in the interstitial region on the long arm of the fourth pair of metacentric chromosomes was indicated by CMA3 fluorochrome. The data from this study enabled a comparison with Acromyrmex striatus, a phylogenetically close species possessing the same chromosome number as the Atta species studied in this work, although clear differences were evident in the morphologies of 2 chromosome pairs and in the distribution and composition of heterochromatin. These results show the constancy of the chromosome number, morphology and banding pattern for the species studied, highlighting the importance of measuring the chromosomes to enable accurate comparison and using banding techniques to compare species of genera with a conserved chromosome number.

Luísa Antônia Campos Barros, Gisele Amaro Teixeira, Hilton Jeferson Alves Cardoso De Aguiar, Cléa Dos Santos Ferreira Mariano, Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie, and Silvia Das Graças Pompolo "Banding Patterns of Three Leafcutter Ant Species of the Genus Atta (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) and Chromosomal Inferences," Florida Entomologist 97(4), 1694-1701, (1 December 2014). https://doi.org/10.1653/024.097.0444
Published: 1 December 2014
KEYWORDS
Attini
chromosome evolution
evolução cromossômica
fluorochrome
fluorocromo
heterochromatin
heterocromatina
Back to Top