"Paddle": A Sex-Linked, Recessive Gene of Tribolium castaneum Herbst

Abstract

A gene, designated "paddle," is described for the flour beetle T. castaneum and shown to be inherited as a single, sex- linked recessive. It is thought this is the first reported case of this type of heredity among the Coleoptera. The somatic effect of the gene is to cause varying degrees of fusion of the 3 segments constituting the antennal club. In addition, male mutant beetles show a reduction in the number of antennal segments from the 11 characteristic of the genus to a modal number of 9. The gene has potential usefulness for population research.