Cytogenetic analysis of two species of genus Protosticta from Himachal Pradesh, India

Cytogenetically, out of 262 species, only three species of family Platystictidae has been reported worldwide. Present study has been undertaken to study chromosome complement and its characterization of more species of this family. Cytogenetic analyses of Protosticta sanguinostigma Fraser, 1992 and Protosticta uncata Fraser, 1931 of family Platystictidae, collected from Andretta, Himachal Pradesh, India have been carried out on the basis of conventional staining, C-banding and silver nitrate staining. Both the species possess n=13m as haploid chromosome number and X0-XX sex determining mechanism. One large bivalent is present in all the meiotic stages of P. sanguinostigma which is considered as the species specific character. Chromosome complement of both the species shows variation in distribution of C-bands and Nucleolar organizer regions (NORs). Cytologically, both the species have been described for the first time.