The Interpretation of the Triploid Intersexes of Solenobia

Abstract

J. Seiler¹and his students have enriched our science with a wealth of data on triploid intersexuality in the psychid moth, Solenobia triquetrella, in which all individuals produced by fertilization of diploid parthenogenetic eggs and therefore of the triploid constitution 3A + XXY are intersexual. The simplest formal genetic explanation for these intersexes is, of course, the old one derived from the Lymantria case, namely that the balance between male determiners in the X-chromosomes and female determiners outside of them is intermediate between the normal balances for females and males respectively. The detailed study of the morphology of these triploid intersexes showed considerable differences from the facts found in the diploid intersexes of Lymantria, indicating that the explanation of the structure of the Lymantria intersexes by the so-called time law could not be simply transferred to the Solenobia intersexes. It is regrettable that it was not always realized by both parties to the discussion, i.e. Seiler¹ and myself, that the completely different genetic situation (i.e. female and male chromosomal constitution in Lymantria, intersexual chromosomal constitution in Solenobia) could hardly result in a completely identical interpretation of both cases. It is still more regrettable that some of the workers in the field and also some in related fields indicated that the possible non-applicability of the laws found in Lymantria to the divergent facts in Solenobia would reflect upon the analysis of the Lymantria case, based upon greatly different genetic and morphological facts. This unfortunate and unjustifiable generalization is the more deplorable because outsiders who are are not sufficiently acquainted with the facts become confused and no longer know what is proved and what is disproved. The result is plainly seen in many superficial, even distorted and unobjective quotations in some of the recent literature on sex-determination.