Cytotaxonomic study of Cephalota hispanica (Gory, 1833) and Spiralia maura (Linnaeus, 1758), two cicindelids from Portugal (Coleoptera)

Cephalota hispanica and Spiralia maura have similar numbers of autosomes but distinct chromosome morphology and sex chromosome systems, (9II+X₁X₂Y/9II+X₁X₂ and 9II+X₁X₂X₃Y/9II+X₁X₂X₃, respectively). The former sex chromosome system follows the pattern of Nearctic and Indian groups and the latter the Palearctic type. The chromosomal polymorphism found suggests the occurrence of other structural rearrangements in the process of differentiation of cicindelids than those usually referred to robertsonian translocations. Moreover, the polyploidy observed in males of both species suggests pre-meiotic endoreduplication phenomena.