THE OCCURRENCE OF M-CHROMOSOMES IN THE KARYOTYPES OF 6 SPECIES OF THEOXYCARENINAE (HETEROPTERA, LYGAEIDAE)

Six species from six genera of the Oxycareninae were investigated. Mal es of all the examined species have 2 elongate follicles in each of th e paired testes and an unpaired branched mesadenial gland. Four of the m (Leptodemus bicolor Lindb., Metopoplax origani (Kol.), Microplax int errupta (Fieb.) and Oxycarenus pallens (H.-S.) have 14 autosomes in th e set. Two other species (Jakowleffia setulosa (Jak.) and Philomyrmex insignis R. Saklb.) have 12 autosomes, one autosomal pair being larger than the others. The last two genera are monotypic and have similar m orphological characters. In all the examined species there is a pair o f m-chromosomes, situated separately or as a pseudobi-valent during me taphase I of meiosis, found in all the investigated cells near to the sex (XY) chromosomes.