Population Structure and Distribution Patterns of the Sibling Mosquito Species Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium (Diptera: Culicidae) Reveal Different Evolutionary Paths

Abstract

Nowadays a number of endemic mosquito species are known to possess vector abilities for various diseases, as e.g. the sibling species Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium. Due to their morphological similarity, ecology, distribution and vector abilities, knowledge about these species' population structure is essential. Culicidae from 25 different sampling sites were collected from March till October 2012. All analyses were performed with aligned cox1 sequences with a total length of 658 bp. Population structure as well as distribution patterns of both species were analysed using molecular methods and different statistical tests like distance based redundancy analysis (dbDRA), analysis of molecular variances (AMOVA) or McDonald & Kreitman test and Tajima's D. Within both species, we could show a genetic variability among the cox1 fragment. The construction of haplotype networks revealed one dominating haplotype for Cx. pipiens, widely distributed within Germany and a more homogeneous pattern for Cx. torrentium. The low genetic differences within Cx. pipiens could be a result of an infection with Wolbachia which can induce a sweep through populations by passively taking the also maternally inherited mtDNA through the population, thereby reducing the mitochondrial diversity as an outcome of reproductive incompatibility. Pairwise population genetic differentiation (FST) ranged significantly from moderate to very great between populations of Cx. pipiens and Cx. torrentium. Analyses of molecular variances revealed for both species that the main genetic variability exists within the populations (Cx. pipiens [88.38%]; Cx. torrentium [66.54%]). Based on a distance based redundancy analysis geographical origin explained a small but significant part of the species' genetic variation. Overall, the results confirm that Cx. pipiens and Cx. torrentium underlie different factors regarding their mitochondrial differentiation, which could be a result of endosymbiosis, dispersal between nearly located populations or human introduction.

Bacterial diversity of cosmopolitan Culex pipiens and invasive Aedes japonicus from Germany

“…pipiens is more known as an ornithophilic mosquito. As both species are often found in human settlements, they are of strong interest for human and veterinary medicine (Becker et al 2011;Werblow et al 2014;Melaun et al 2015). This study is the first study to investigate the bacterial microbiota diversity of the common mosquito species Cx.…”

Culex torrentium mosquitoes from Germany are negative for Wolbachia

“…A; P < 0.001). This observation could help to explain other interesting phenomena such as the difference in genetic variability between C. torrentium and C. pipiens reported by others (Werblow et al ., ). Werblow et al .…”

Blood Meal Identification of the Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Specimens Belong to Culex pipiens Complex that were Collected from Kayseri Province

“…Günümüzde bu kompleks içinde birçok tür, alt tür ve formların varlığı gösterilmiş olup bunların çoğunun West Nile virus ve Rift Valley Fever virus gibi arboviruslara, filarial nematodlara ve kanatlı Plasmodium türlerine vektörlük yaptıkları ortaya konmuş-tur (3). Bunun yanında Culex soyunun, tarif edilen 750'den fazla türüyle birlikte yüksek medikal ve veteriner öneme sahip olduğu bilinmektedir (4). Culex soyu içerisinde Culex alt soyuna bağlı Avrupa'da 7 türün varlığı bilinmekte olup, bunların arasında Cx.…”

“…Culex soyu içerisinde Culex alt soyuna bağlı Avrupa'da 7 türün varlığı bilinmekte olup, bunların arasında Cx. pipiens en yaygın holarktik tür olarak nitelenmektedir (4,5). Palaearktik biyotipleri Cx.…”