CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS IN RHINOCEROS BEETLE (ORYCTES RHINOCEROS) INFECTED WITH BACULOVIRUS

Abstract

Chromosomal aberrations in the testicular and ovarian cells of rhinoceros beetle infected with baculovirus in vivo were studied. Chromosomal/chromatid breakage (female 32.2%, male 28.20%) and centromeric dissociation (female 29.6%, male 24.00%) were more frequent among the aberrations followed by aneuploidy (female 14.8%, male 6.3%), acentric (female 11.60%, male 4.5%) and centric (female 2.8%, male 1.3%) fragments. Metacentrics were 1.6% and 1.2%, respectively, in the female and male cells. Females were more susceptible to the virus infection in terms of chromosomal aberrations compared to male beetles, the total frequency of aberrant cells being 65.5% in males and 92.6% in females. The mean number of abnormalities per aberrant cell was 1.01 in both male and female.