MOLECULAR CYTOGENETICS AND TAXONOMY OF INSECTS, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE COLEOPTERA

We assess and review the impact of the new cytogenetic techniques in i nsects for their roles in taxonomy and for a better knowledge of their chromosomal structure. Particular emphasis is given to molecular cyto genetics by fluorescent in situ hybridization, localization of AT- or CC-rich regions with fluorochromes, and restriction endonuclease bandi ng in beetle chromosomes. The main features of the cytogenetics of Col eoptera are treated in detail, taking into account the range of variat ion in chromosome number and genome size, and our in-depth findings on the constitutive heterochromatin and satellite DNAs of tenebrionid be etles. Some other topics of interest for insect cytogenetics, such as the meiotic association of sex chromosomes,the nucleolar organizing re gions (NORs), and the molecular constitution of telomeres, are also di scussed from the taxonomic and structural viewpoints. Copyright (C) 19 96 Elsevier Science Ltd.