A few studies have carried out the taxonomic and molecular characterization of sylvatic mosquito species in Latin America, where some species have been incriminated as vectors for arboviruses and parasites transmission. The present study reports the molecular characterization of mosquito species in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a natural ecosystem in the Northern coast of Colombia. Manual capture methods were used to collect mosquitoes, and the specimens were identified via classical taxonomy. The COI marker was used for species confirmation, and phylogenetic analysis was performed using the neighbor-joining method, with the Kimura-2-Parameters model. Aedes serratus , Psorophora ferox , Johnbelkinia ulopus , Sabethes chloropterus , Sabethes cyaneus , Wyeomyia aporonoma , Wyeomyia pseudopecten , Wyeomyia ulocoma and Wyeomyia luteoventralis were identified. We assessed the genetic variability of mosquitoes in this area and phylogenetic reconstructions allowed the identification at the species level. Classical and molecular taxonomy demonstrated to be useful and complementary when morphological characteristics are not well preserved, or the taxonomic group is not represented in public molecular databases.

BACKGROUND The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta rainforest has diverse fauna due to its position in northern Colombia, a Caribbean region with predominantly tropical, dry, and rainforest ecosystems in which there is a high diversity of mosquito species that may act as arbovirus vectors.OBJECTIVES The present study reports the molecular characterization of select mosquito species in this rainforest.METHODS Manual capture methods were used to collect mosquitoes, and the specimens were identified via classical taxonomy. The COI marker was used for species confirmation, and phylogenetic analysis was performed, using the neighbor-joining method, with the Kimura-2-Parameters model. and Wyeomyia luteoventralis were identified and intra-species variation >2% for most species. MAIN CONCLUSIONSWe report the first records on the genetic variability of mosquitoes in this area and phylogenetic reconstructions allowed for identification at the species level, and the corroboration by means of classical taxonomy suggested complementarity of both methods, which may be employed when morphological or molecular data are poor or not available. The genetic and morphological characterization of jungle mosquito populations will help to understand their biology.3