Bolland, H.R.

Gutierrez, Jean

Helle, W.

Horizon / Pleins textes

KARYOTYPES 
TAXONOMY 
CARYOTYPES 
TAXONOMIE 
CHROMOSOMES I N  SPIDER MITES (TETRANYCHIDAE-ACARI) 
BY H. BOLLAND I, J. GUTIERREZ AND W. HELLE 1 
ABSTRACT : The chromosomes of fifteen tetranychid species were studied 
in embryonic tissue cells in acetic-orcein squashes. All bisexual species 
exhibit a haplo-diploid sex determination, resulting from arrhenotokous 
discussed in relation to the genera Oligonyclius and Tetranychus. A diploid 
number of 2 n = 8 occur in Tetranychina moutiai, Oligonychus gramineus, 
O. leandrianae, O. +legas, Tetranyclms jìjiensis and T.  marianae ; of 2 n = 6 
in Schizotetranycli.us reticulalus, Eotetranychus uncatus, Oligonychus thely- 
tokus, Tetraizyclzus lafnbi,  T.  lombardinii, T.  macfarlanei, T.  yusti  and T. lin- 
tearius ; of 2 n = 4 in Eutetranychus africanus. 
parthenogenesis. The taxonomic significance of karyotype information is -_ 
RÉSUMÉ : Les caryotypes de quinze espèces de tétranyques ont été étudiés, 
à partir de cellules de tissu embryonnaire écrasées et traitées à l’acéto-orceine. 
Chez toutes les espèces où mâles et femelles sont représentés, la détermina- 
tion du sexe résulte de la parthénogenèse haploïde arrhénotoque. La valeur 
de l’information apportée à la taxonomie par la détermination du nombre 
de chromosomes, est discutée pour les genres 0ligo.lzyclzus et Tetranychus. 
Un nombre diploïde de 2 n = 8 a été trouvé chez Tetranyckina moutiai, 
Oligoizychus gramineus, O. leandrianae, O. +legas, Tetranyclzus Jijiensis et 
T.  marianae ; 2 n = 6 chez Schizotetranychus reticulaks, Eotetranychus uncatus, 
Oligonyckus tlzelytokus, Tetranyclzus lambi, T .  lombardinii, T .  nzacfarlanei, 
T .  yusti  ; 2 n = 4 chez Eutetrawyhus africanus. 
111 
INTRODUCTION 
1 ,  
s Chromosome data and types of partheno- 
genesis of tetranychid mites have been presented 
for 63 species in previous studies (HELLE & 
BOLLAND, 1967, 1972; HELLE et al., 1970; 
GUTIERREZ et al., 1970 and 1979 ; GUTIERREZ & 
HELLE, 1971 ; GUTIERREZ & BOLLAND 1073 a/b). 
In  the present work the data for 15 other tetra- 
nychid species are given, viz. for Tetrafzychina 
mout ia i  (B & P), Eutetranychus africanus (Tuc- 
ker), Schizotetranychus reticulatus P & B, Eote- 
tranychzis uncatus Garman, OZigonychus gramineus 
(Mc.Gregor), O. leandrianae Gutierrez, O. #legas 
B & P, O. thelytohus Gutierrez, Tetranychus  
$jiensis Hirst, T.  marianae McGregor, T.  Zambi 
P & B, T.  Zombardiizii B & P, T.  nzacfarlanei 
B &. P, T.  y u s t i  McGregor, T .  Zintearius Dufour. 
Fan 
cate d“ ß- 4k. l  
1. Laboratory of Experimental Entomology, Kruislaan 302, 1098 SM Amsterdam, the Neth 
0 .  2. Centre ORSTOM, B.P. AS, Noumea, New Caledonia. 
. Acarologia, t. XXII, fasc. 3, 1981. 
-.. 
- --.e Jf%?fc+ 23 KARS 11982 
- -  - 
- 272 - 
MATERIAL AND METHODS 
Karyotype examinations were performed on 
eggs containing undifferentiated embryonic tissue 
An intact egg is placed on a slide with a droplet 
of 1 % sodium acetate. After one minute, the 
,sodium acetate is removed by a droplet of a 
1 % aceto-orcein stain. By pressing slightly 
on the coverglass, the egg is broken. After 
a staining period ranging between 5 and 10 
minutes, the egg is firmly squashed. Permanent 
preparations were obtained by using Euparal. 
The species Eutetranychus africanus, Eotetra- 
nychus uncatus, Oligonychus gramineus, O. thely- 
tokus, Tetrar~ychusJijiensis, T .  mayianae, T .  lambi, 
T .  lombardinii, T.  wtacfarlanei, T .  yusti and 
T .  lintearius were maintained on detached leaf 
cultures. For karyotype examination eggs were 
taken from these cultures. By isolating female 
teleiochysalids on detached leaf cultures, the 
sex of the partheno-produced offspring of 
virgin females could be assessed. The species 
Tetranychina moutiai, Schizotetranychus reticu- 
latus, Oligonychus leandrianae and O. plegas 
were not reared in the laboratory. Fertilized 
females from these species collected in the field 
were maintained for some days in perspex cells 
adjusted to the leaves of the original host plant. 
Eggs deposited in the cells were used for exami- 
nation. 
RESULTS 
The results are presented in table 1 ; photo- 
micrographs are given in plate 1. The chromo- 
somes of all species examined do not display 
peculiarities of characteristics in shape or size : 
all chromosomes in metaphase are ranging in 
length between 1 and 2 pm. Virgin females 
of the species Eut. africanus, Eot. uncatus, 
O. gramineus, T.  j%jiensis, T .  marianae, T .  Iambi, 
T.  lombardinii, T .  macfarlanei, T .  yusti and 
T .  lintearius produce exclusively male off s- 
pring; this was ascertained for a minimum 
number of 20 eggs per species. The parthe- 
nogenetic offspring of O. thelytokus is entirely 
of the female sex. 
i 
I 
TABLE 1. - Chromosomes of 15 species of Tetranychidae. 
2 n  n 
Species Chromosomenumber Sex of Number of 
offspring eggs locality 
from virgin examined 
BRYOBIINAE 
Tetralaychina moutiui (B & P) 8 4 
TETRANYCHINAE 
Eutetranychus afvicanus (Tucker) 
Schizotetranychus reticulatzts P & B 
Eotetranychus uncatus Garman 
Oligonychus gramineus (McGregor) 
O. leandrianae Gutierrez 
O. plegas B & P 
O. thelytokus Gutierrez 
Tetranychus fijiensis Hirst 
T.  marianae McGregor 
T.  lambi P & B 
T. lombardanii B & P 
T .  macfarlanei B & P 
T. yetsti McGregor 
T .  lintearius Dufour 
4 
6 
6 
8 
8 
8 
6 
8 
8 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
2 
3 
3 
4 
4 
4 
4 
4 
3 
3 
3 
3 
3 
- 
females 
13 - 
d 15 
9 - 
6 13 
d 22 
8 
3 
15 
50 
9 
d 
3 10 
- 
- 
d 11 
6 50 
8 
33 
a 
d s 21 
Host plant 
Mauritius Verbena bonariensis (L.) 
Mauritius 
Madagascar 
The Netherlands 
New Caledonia 
Madagascar 
Mauritius 
Madagascar 
New Caledonia 
New Caledonia 
New Caledonia 
Kenya 
Mauritius 
Columbia 
France 
Citvus sp. 
Grewia andramparoi Vig, 
Malus sp. 
Panicum maximum Jacq. 
Brachiaria leandriana J. Bosser 
Cocos nucifera L. 
Tevminalia catmppa (L.) 
Dysoxylum sp. 
Hibiscus sp. 
Maniltot utilissima Pohl. 
Irisine herbstii Hook. 
Hibiscus esculentus (L.) 
PassiJora sp. 
Ulex europneus L. 
* 
. 
- 273 - 
FIG. 1-20. - Photomicrographs of mitotic stages in egg squashes of different species. 
1) Tetranyclzina moutiai, 2 n = 8 (2 100 X )  ; ++ ; 2)  T .  moutiai, n = 4 (2 100 x )  ++ ; 3) Eutetranychus afri- 
canus, 2 n = 4 (2 800 x ) ; 4) Schizotetranyclzus reticdatus, 2 n = 6 (2 100 x ) ++ ; 5) Eotetranycltus uncatus, 
2 n = 6 (2 800 X ) ++ ; 6 )  E.  uncatus, n = 3 (2 800 x ) ++ ; 7) E. gramineus, 2 n = 8 (2 800 x ) ++ ; 8) E. lean- 
driavzae, 2 n = 8 (2 800 x )  ++ ; 9) Oligonychus $legas, 2 n = 8 (2 100 x )  ++ ; 10) O. filegas, n = 4 (2 100 x )  ++ ; 
11) O. thelytokus, 2 n = 6 (2 100 X )  ++ ; 12) Tekanycltusfijiensis, 2 n = 8 (2 800 x )  ++ ; 13) T. marianae, 2 n = 8 
(2 800 X )  t f ;  14 T .  marianae, n = 4 (2 800 X )  ++; 15) T.  lamhi, 2 n = 6 (2 800 x )  ++; 16) T .  lombardinii, 
2 n = 6 (2 400) ; 17) T.  macfarlanei, n = 3 (2 100 x )  tc ; 18) T .  yusti, 2 n = 6 (2 800 x )  ++; 19) T.  yusti, 
n = 3 (2 800 x )  ++; 20) T .  lintearius, 2 n = 6 (2 800 x) .  
I 
- 274 -‘I 
DISCUSSION 
The results provide information for discussion 
of the subgeneric grouping in Oligonychus and 
Tetranychus. The available chromosome data 
for the genera Tetra?aychitza, Eutetranychzls, 
Schizotetraizyclzus and Eotetranychus are too 
fragmentary for an appropriate discussion. The 
genera Oligonychus and Tetranychus have been 
subdivided into a number of subgenera by 
TUTTLE & BAKER (1968) using the integumen- 
tary striation as a main character for delinea- 
tion of the taxa. 
In Oligonychus the accumulated chromosome 
data involve 17 species, belonging for the greater 
part to the subgenera Reckiella and Oligonychus 
s.str. The situation in Reckiella is interesting 
since this subgenus includes two distinct groups, 
each characterized morphologically as well as 
by its host plant preferences. The first group 
lives on dicotyledons, and the four species 
examined so for have 2 n = 4 chromosomes. 
The other group lives on grasses and the 8 
species studied, including O. gramineus, O. plegas 
and O. leandrianae, have 2 n = 8. Considering 
the karyotypic information both groups are 
probably worthy of subgeneric level. 
From the subgenus Oligonychus s.sir., three 
species are kwown to have the diploid number 
of 6 chromosomes (O. coffeae, O. quercinus and 
O. ununguis). The chromosome number of 
2 n = 6 for O. thelytokus is in agreement with 
the number of O. coffeae, being a very closely 
related species. In  Tetranychus, T .  9jiensi.s 
with 2 n = 8 has to be separated from the sub- 
genus Tetranychus s.str.,which is contrary to 
the views of TUTTLE and BAKER (1968). This 
species with typical tarsal appendages, and 
characteristic aedeagus should rather belong 
to the subgenus Pentanychus created by WAINS- 
TEIN (1960). It should be noted that T.  j5jiensi.s 
is generally collected on Monocotyledones (Pal- 
mae), as the species of the subgenus Polynychus 
whose typical number is 2 n = 8. 
The five other examined species (i.e. T .  maria- 
nue with 2 n = 8 ;  T .  lambi, T .  lombardinii, 
T .  macfarlanei and T.  yusti with 2 n = 6) 
belong to the subgenus Tetranychas s.str. The 
number 2 n = 8 of T .  marianae is exceptional 
since ten species in this subgenus were already 
2 n = 12. T .  marianae, however is clearly 
different from Polynychus species. T.  tumidus 
exhibits possibly tetradiploidy (HELLE et al., 
1970). 
From the rearing experiments, it appears 
that in all bisexual species the parthenogene- 
tically produced off spring are males, indicating 
that arrhenotoky is invariably underlying 
haplo-diploidy in the Tetranychidae. Both 
arrhenotoky and thelytoky are very common 
forms of parthenogenesis in the more primitive 
subfamily Bryobiinae. In  the Tetranychinae, 
the other subfamily of the Tetranychidae, the 
species O. thelytocus represents a rare exception, 
since all other species are arrhenotokous (GUTIER- 
4 
8 k found to have 2 n = 6, and one (T .  tumidus) 
1 
REZ, 1977). 
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GUTIERREZ (J.), 1977. - Un tétranyque polyphage 
de la zone intertropicale : Oligonychus thelytokus 
n. sp. - Cah. ORSTOM, sér. Biol., 12 : 65-72. 
n o  bia sycophanta Womersley (Acariens : Tetra- 
nychidae) décrit de Tasmanie est probablement 
tion et étude cytogénétique. - Ent. Berich., 
Amsterdam, 33 : 54-60. 
GUTIERREZ (J.) & BOLLAND (H. R.), 1973b. - 
Description et caryotype d’une nouvelle espèce 
du genre Tetraxychus Dufour (Acariens : Tetra- 
nychidae) récoltée au Tchad, sur Dolichos lablab L. 
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GUTIERREZ (J.) &BOLLAND (H. R.), 1973a. - SchZizo- 
originaire d’Europe. Coniplément de la descrip- 
* 
6, 
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GUTIERREZ (J.) & HELLE (W.), 1971. - Deux 
nouvelles espèces du genre Eutetranyckus Banks 
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cultivCes à Madagascar. - Ent. Berich., Amster- 
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GUTIERREZ (J.), HELLE (W.) & BOLLAND (H. R.), 
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GUTIERREZ (J.), HELLE (W.) & BOLLAND (H. R.), 
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k 
L Berich., Amsterdam, 39 : 88-94. 
4 
HELLE (W.) & BOLLAND (H. R.), 1972. - Artificial 
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by means of X-rays (Arach., Acari). - Ent. exp. 
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HELLE (W.), GUTIERREZ (J.) & BOLLAND (H. R.), 
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mites of Southwestern United States and a revi- 
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Paru en octobre 1981. 
I' 


Chromosomes in spider mites (Tetranychidae-Acari)

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