Karyotypes of Some African Coreoids and the Higher Systematics of Coreoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)

Abstract

Cytological investigations were made on some African Coreiods in the South-Eastern cocoa growing areas of Ghana. Data is presented on karyotypes of the group. The now known karyotypes of the Coreoidea has been increased from 113 to 140 species by this study. Effort has been made to correlate information from this study with what exists in the literature on morphological and cytotaxonomic studies relating to the higher systematics of the Coreoidea. Coreidae, Alydidae and Rhopalidae have been recognised as the families included in the superfamily Coreoidea ( sensu stricto ). The Rhopalidae and Alydidae are more closely related. The Coreidae are the more advanced forms. The Coreoidea have apparent high chromosome numbers and XY sex mechanism. The basic number is 2n=13 for Rhopalidae and Alydidae and 2n=21 for Coreidae. Cytological features characterise some taxa but the data in others is too meagre to arrive at any conclusions. Evidence from the cytological data tends to support conclusions arrived at from morphological and other studies.