TAXONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EXTERNAL MALE GENITALIA IN FAMILY CURCULIONIDAE WITH COMMENTS ON THE STRUCTURE OF THESE ORGANS IN OTHER FAMILIES OF CURCULIONOIDEA (COLEOPTERA: INSECTA)

Taxonomic importance of male genitalia studied in 797 species of Curculionoidea belonging to families Atteliabidae (100), Brenthidae (2), Apionidae (60), Rhynchophoridae (10) and Curculionidae (625), has been highlighted at the level of families as well as in the subfamilies, tribes and genera of Curculionidae. The variations noted in the male genitalia pertain to the relative length of aedeagus, aedeagal apodemes and phalobasic apodeme alongwith the shape of aedeagus and structure of endophallic armature. Several subfamilies, tribes and genera of Curculionidae show a constant structure of male genitalia whereas some others express sufficient diversity, warranting a review of their taxonomic status

IRRADIATION OF THE ADULTS AND PUPAE OF CALLOSOBRUCHUS MACULATUS (F.) FOR THE PRODUCTION OF STERILE MALES AND FEMALES

Fresh adults and pupae of different ages were exposed to different doses of Gamma radiations for induction ofsterility. Fresh and one-day to three-day old adults and two-day to four-day old pupae treated with 2000 and 2500rads produced cent per cent sterile males and females, respectively. The exposure of freshly formed adults to a doseof 5000 rads produced 100% sterile females but maximum of 96.9% senile males were produced with a dose of 6000rads

ADDITIONAL STUDIES ON THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF EREMNINAE (CURCULIONIDAE : COLEOPTERA)

This report includes a review of the number of testes in the so far studied genera of Indian Ereminae and illustrates the structure of the male reproductive organs in the representatives of the genera studied for the first time