Study of Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Chromosome in Pachytene Stage with Squash Method

Meiosis is one of the main phenomena in the life cycle of insect, which causes creation of haploid gametes, and normal happening of this division is the basic condition to survive the generation of a species. In this study, the chromosomal complex of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in both spermatocytes and and oocytes on prophase stage was evaluated by using squash method and contrast phase microscope. The population was a stored population (more than 30 generations) in the biosystematics lab of the University of Tehran, Karaj. In both sex, the pachytene nucleus had a chromosomal complex of 30 bivalent (2n= 60). The results showed that the behavior of chromosomes in the observed cells was normal. The population showed a normal meiosis and it seems that spermatids were fertile. In other words, in the individuals of the population, the formation of bivalent which go toward polar during anaphase, occurred normally.