title: Cytogenetic study on antlions (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae): first data on telomere structure and rDNA location.
abstract: Myrmeleontidae, commonly known as "antlions", are the most diverse family of the insect order Neuroptera, with over 1700 described species (in 191 genera) of which 37 species (in 21 genera) have so far been studied in respect to standard karyotypes. In the present paper we provide first data on the occurrence of the "insect-type" telomeric repeat (TTAGG)nand location of 18S rDNA clusters in the antlion karyotypes studied using fluorescencein situhybridization (FISH). We show that males ofPalpares libelluloides(Linnaeus, 1764) (Palparinae),Acanthaclisis occitanica(Villers, 1789) (Acanthaclisinae) andDistoleon tetragrammicus(Fabricius, 1798) (Nemoleontinae) have rDNA clusters on a large bivalent, two last species having an additional rDNA cluster on one of the sex chromosomes, most probably the X. (TTAGG)n- containing telomeres are clearly characteristic ofPalpares libelluloidesandAcanthaclisis occitanica; the presence of this telomeric motif inDistoleon tetragrammicusis questionable. In addition, we detected the presence of the (TTAGG)ntelomeric repeat inLibelloides macaronius(Scopoli, 1763) from the family Ascalaphidae (owlflies), a sister group to the Myrmeleontidae. We presume that the "insect" motif (TTAGG)nwas present in a common ancestor of the families Ascalaphidae and Myrmeleontidae within the neuropteran suborder Myrmeleontiformia.
authors.affiliation: Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034, St. Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: Valentina G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Kuznetsova
authors.affiliation: Prikaspiyskiy Institute of Biological Resources, Dagestan Scientific Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. M. Gadzhieva 45, 367025 Makhachkala, Russia.
authors.forename: Gadzhimurad N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Khabiev
authors.affiliation: Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034, St. Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: Boris A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Anokhin
keywords: Acanthaclisis occitanica; Ascalaphidae; Distoleon tetragrammicus; Libelloides macaronius; Myrmeleontidae; Neuroptera; Palpares libelluloides; TTAGG; fluorescence in situ hybridization; rDNA