First cytogenetic information on four checkered beetles (Coleoptera, Cleridae)

The karyotypes of four species of Cleridae (Coleoptera): Trichodes favarius (Illiger, 1802), Trichodes quadriguttatus Adams, 1817, Trichodes reichei (Mulsant et Rey, 1863), and Tilloidea transversalis (Charpentier, 1825) were reported for the first time with this study. The chromosome numbers of these four species were determined as 2n = 18, sex chromosome system Xy(p), and all chromosomes were metacentric (the except y chromosome). Together with this study, the chromosome data of only 17 species are available in this family. It is remarkable that all of them display the same chromosome number and similar karyotypes. This may make the effect of karyotypical features important in interpreting the evolutionary process of Cleridae.