Biochemical Taxonomy and Enzyme Electrophoretic Profiles During Development, for Three Morphologically SimilarAedesSpecies (Diptera: Culicidae) of the SubgenusStegomyia

Abstract

Aedes (Stegomyia) cretinus is a rarely documented mosquito with a Mediterranean distribution, whereas Aedes (S.) albopictus has spread worldwide in the past two decades because of its anthropogenic associations. A third closely related species, Aedes (S.) flavopictus, is sympatric with A. albopictus in northeast Asia. The three species are characterized by a striking mid-thoracic white stripe and, consequently, field-collected individuals may be difficult to separate by morphology. Sixteen biochemical markers were described for laboratory strains representing the three species; these provided the first biochemical genetic profile for A. cretinus and A. flavopictus. Diagnostic enzymes for identifying each species pair were determined. A biochemical key was provided to distinguish among adults of the three species. Several enzyme loci that were diagnostic for the adult stage proved unreliable for identifying immature stages. Voucher specimens for link-reared series of larva, pupa, adult male, and adult female stages of the A. cretinus Crete strain (n = 88) and the A. albopictus Nepal strain (n = 105) were deposited at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, CT.

Aedes albopictus and Aedes flavopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) pre-imaginal abundance patterns are associated with different environmental factors along an altitudinal gradient

“…flavopictus can be primarily distinguished in the adult stage by the presence of a “patch of narrow curved or crescent-shaped slightly yellowish to yellowish-brown scales” near the wing root ( Tanaka et al., 1979 ). In addition, these two species can be separated based on mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms ( Kambhampati and Rai, 1991 ), isoenzymes ( Gaunt et al., 2004 ), ITS-1 and ITS-2 ribosomal DNA ( Toma et al., 2002 , Tsuda et al., 2015 ) and mitochondrial COI DNA barcoding ( Maekawa et al., 2016a ; Taira et al., 2012 ). Therefore, molecular and morphological differences, have robustly confirmed that Ae.…”

Population Genetics of <I>Ochlerotatus eatoni</I> (Diptera: Culicidae) Endemic Species to Two Macaronesian Islands

“…These successful colonizers have spread worldwide from their native origin in tropical and subtropical areas (Smith 1956, Forattini 1986, Hawley 1988, Rai 1991, and their biology, ecology, population genetics, and evolution are well known. Recently, members of the subgenus Stegomyia also have been studied (Taafe Gaunt et al 2004). In contrast, species of the genus Ochlerotatus are relatively poorly studied (Cook et al 2005), and intraspe-ciÞc population studies are particularly rare (Rey et al 2001).…”