New Genome Size Estimates For Band-Winged And Slant-Faced Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Oedipodinae, Gomphocerinae) Reveal The So Far Largest Measured Insect Genome

Grasshoppers, specifically those of the family Acrididae are known to have the largest genomes of all insects. However, less than 100 species of Orthoptera have their genome size estimated so far. In the present study, we measured the genome size of five acridid species belonging to the two subfamilies Oedipodinae and Gomphocerinae. All of the genomes measured are large and range between 1C = 11.31 pg in the female of Chorthippus dorsatus and 1C = 18.48 pg in the female of Stethophyma grossum. The latter represents the so far largest measured insect genome. We further provide a summary of genome size estimates available for Orthoptera.