Comparative population genetics of the invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus and the native mosquito Aedes flavopictus in the Korean peninsula

Abstract

Background Aedes mosquitoes are important invasive species contributing to the spread of chikungunya, dengue fever, yellow fever, zika virus, and other dangerous vector-borne diseases. Aedes albopictus is native to southeast Asia, with rapid expansion due to human activity, showing a wide distribution in the Korean peninsula. Aedes flavopictus is considered to be native to East Asia, with a broad distribution in the region, including the Korean peninsula. A better understanding of the genetic diversity of these species is critical for establishing strategies for disease prevention and vector control. Methods We obtained DNA from 148 specimens of Ae. albopictus and 166 specimens of Ae. flavopictus in Korea, and amplified two mitochondrial genes (COI and ND5) to compare the genetic diversity and structure of the two species. Results We obtained a 658-bp sequence of COI and a 423-bp sequence of ND5 from both mosquito species. We found low diversity and a nonsignificant population genetic structure in Ae. albopictus, and high diversity and a nonsignificant structure in Ae. flavopictus for these two mitochondrial genes. Aedes albopictus had fewer haplotypes with respect to the number of individuals, and a slight mismatch distribution was confirmed. By contrast, Ae. flavopictus had a large number of haplotypes compared with the number of individuals, and a large unimodal-type mismatch distribution was confirmed. Although the genetic structure of both species was nonsignificant, Ae. flavopictus exhibited higher genetic diversity than Ae. albopictus. Conclusions Aedes albopictus appears to be an introduced species, whereas Ae. flavopictus is endemic to the Korean peninsula, and the difference in genetic diversity between the two species is related to their adaptability and introduction history. Further studies on the genetic structure and diversity of these mosquitos will provide useful data for vector control.

Genetic Diversity of Dengue Vector Aedes albopictus Collected from South Korea, Japan, and Laos

“…Previous studies have shown that the diversity is highest in Southeast Asia, where these mosquitoes originate, while the diversity is lower in the other regions [ 14 , 52 , 75 ]. In this study, a low level of genetic diversity was observed in the Korean and Japanese populations, which is consistent with the results of previous studies [ 34 , 76 ]. The Laos population was shown to have a high level of genetic diversity, which is thought to be the origin of the mosquitoes, which also supports the findings of previous studies [ 14 , 20 , 23 , 76 ].…”

“…Two nucleotide sequences, 658 bp CO1 and 423 bp ND5 , were obtained from 211 mosquito samples, including 148 Korean samples from our previous study [ 34 ], 35 samples from Japan, and 28 samples from Laos ( Table 1 ). Thirty-eight haplotypes were observed in the mtDNA sequence analysis ( Table S2 ).…”

“…Recently, Ae. albopictus has been studied in the Korean population [ 34 ]. Adult mosquitoes were collected using net and BG-Sentinel traps (Biogents AG, Regensburg, Germany).…”

“…flavopictus is native to the Korean Peninsula, whereas Ae. albopictus seems to be an introduced species [ 34 ].…”

“…In this study, we aimed to elucidate the genetic status of Ae. albopictus in Korea using sixteen microsatellite markers developed in addition to the two mt markers ( COI and ND5 ) from our recently published study [ 34 ]. Such research on genetic diversity and structure could allow effective surveillance of mosquito populations as well as help in evaluating whether an exotic species has been introduced.…”