Abstract

Chromosomes with detailed karyotypic information (nature, number, size, relative length, length of X-chromosome, nature of X-chromosome) and C-banding patterns of six species of grasshoppers belonging to sub-families- Tryxalinae, Oedipodinae and Catantopinae are discussed. The karyotypes comprises of acrocentric chromosomes with complement number 2n=23 (male). Constitutive heterochromatin distribution was found at centomeric, interstitial, terminal sites along with thick and thin bands among all the species except inAcrida turrita, which possessed only centromeric C-bands. The number and location of C-bands in Acridids exhibit both intra – and interspecific variations. In the present communication the chromosome complement and C-banding patterns are analyzed for further differences between congeneric species and among genera belonging to the same sub-family.

Key words: Acrididae, Orthoptera, chromosome complement, C-banding