High content of constitutive heterochromatin in two species of Pseudonannolene (Diplopoda)

Abstract

Due to the fact that a considerable amount of constitutive heterochromatin has been commonly found in millipedes, this paper presents the characterization of the chromosomal complement, through C-banding technique, of two species of millipedes belonging to the genus Pseudonannolene. The species Pseudonannolene tocaiensis shows 2n=20, with five chromosomal pairs almost completely heterochromatic and the remaining pairs with pericentromeric C+ blocks. P. silvestris shows 2n=16, with a large heterochromatic portion in the first two pairs of autosomes, which presented the long arms totally C+

Key words:

• Constitutive heterochromatin
• Cytogenetics
• Diplopoda
• Pseudonannolene