DOI: 10.5176/2251-2489_BioTech18
Authors: Farzana Yesmin and Mahani Mansor Clyde
Abstract: The Tephritidae fruit fly pest Bactrocera carambolae Drew and Hancock (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a sibling species of the Bactrocera dorsalis complex. This species cause serious financial damage in the edible fruits and fleshy vegetables producing areas in Malaysia. The mitotic metaphase chromosomes from larval neural ganglia of this species were examined to determine the karyotype. It has six pairs of mitotic chromosomes including one pair sex chromosome XY/XX. There are 2 pairs of submetacentric, 1 pair metacentric and 2 pairs of acrocentric autosomes. The X chromosome is metacentric and long while the Y is a dot-like chromosome and totally heterochromatic. One arm of the X chromosome is also heterochromatic. Morphometric characteristics of chromosomes, i.e. number, centromeric index, relative length and arm ratio are presented for the first time in B. carambolae. The information will be helpful for developing novel control methods for this important pest species and can be used for comparative studies among species of the tephritid fruit fly pests.
Keywords: karyotype; carambola fruit fly; Bactrocera carambolae; mitotic chromosomes; novel control methods
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