Rapid turnover of the W chromosome in geographical populations of wild silkmoths, Samia cynthia ssp.

Geographical subspecies of wild silkmoths, Samia cynthia ssp. (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) exhibit a unique polymorphism in chromosome numbers, resulting from variations in the sex chromosome systems. Three different sex chromosome constitutions were identified: Z0/ZZ in S. c. ricini (2n=27/28), neo-Wneo-Z/neo-Zneo-Z in S. c. walkeri (2n=26/26), and neo-WZ1Z2/Z1Z1Z2Z2 in S. cynthia subsp. indet. (2n=25/26). It has been proposed, that the common ancestor of S. cynthia subspecies had a classical WZ/ZZ constitution with diploid chromosome number of 2n=28/28 and the neo-sex chromosomes in S. c. walkeri and S. cynthia subsp. indet. arose by repeated sex chromosome-autosome fusions. Our sampling effort enabled us to examine five populations of S. cynthia with an ancestral-like karyotype with the aim to verify a hypothesis about sex chromosome evolution in this species complex. Obtained results suggest that the curious WZ system of S. cynthia pryeri may represent an ancestral state of the Samia species complex. However, they do not exclude an alternative hypothesis of its derived origine