Pupae of the Nearctic species of Culicoides Latreille subgenus Monoculicoides Khalaf (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Shults, Phillip; Borkent, Art

doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4504.4.1

Cited by 591 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Should this marker be cross-reactive with another species, it would produce a false positive if used as the sole method for identifying C. sonorensis . Fortunately, the C. variipennis complex is morphologically distinguishable from other species of Culicoides [ 25 , 47 ], thus if this were the case, a combination of the two methods would still allow for rapid identification of the vector species. Single-tube molecular identification assays already exist for vector species in other Culicoides species complexes; however, most of these are based on mitochondrial data.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of microsatellite markers for population genetics of biting midges and a potential tool for species identification of Culicoides sonorensis Wirth & Jones

et al. 2022

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Background Proper vector surveillance relies on the ability to identify species of interest accurately and efficiently, though this can be difficult in groups containing cryptic species. Culicoides Latreille is a genus of small biting flies responsible for the transmission of numerous pathogens to a multitude of vertebrates. Regarding pathogen transmission, the C. variipennis species complex is of particular interest in North America. Of the six species within this group, only C. sonorensis Wirth & Jones is a proven vector of bluetongue virus and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus. Unfortunately, subtle morphological differences, cryptic species, and mitonuclear discordance make species identification in the C. variipennis complex challenging. Recently, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis enabled discrimination between the species of this group; however, this demanding approach is not practical for vector surveillance. Methods The aim of the current study was to develop a reliable and affordable way of distinguishing between the species within the C. variipennis complex, especially C. sonorensis. Twenty-five putative microsatellite markers were identified using the C. sonorensis genome and tested for amplification within five species of the C. variipennis complex. Machine learning was then used to determine which markers best explain the genetic differentiation between species. This led to the development of a subset of four and seven markers, which were also tested for species differentiation. Results A total of 21 microsatellite markers were successfully amplified in the species tested. Clustering analyses of all of these markers recovered the same species-level identification as the previous SNP data. Additionally, the subset of seven markers was equally capable of accurately distinguishing between the members of the C. variipennis complex as the 21 microsatellite markers. Finally, one microsatellite marker (C508) was found to be species-specific, only amplifying in the vector species C. sonorensis among the samples tested. Conclusions These microsatellites provide an affordable way to distinguish between the sibling species of the C. variipennis complex and could lead to a better understanding of the species dynamics within this group. Additionally, after further testing, marker C508 may allow for the identification of C. sonorensis with a single-tube assay, potentially providing a powerful new tool for vector surveillance in North America. Graphical Abstract

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of microsatellite markers for population genetics of biting midges and a potential tool for species identification of Culicoides sonorensis Wirth & Jones

et al. 2022

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“…In fact, several individuals of C. albertensis and C. variipennis shared identical haplotypes. Multiple studies have shown a high degree of genetic similarity in mtDNA between C. sonorensis and C. variipennis 23 , 24 , 42 , though it was proposed that this was due to misidentifications. As all of the individuals included in our mitochondrial haplotype analysis from the current study were identified to species using the SNP data, this lack of mitochondrial separation must have an underlying biological cause.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When originally described, this group consisted of five subspecies 21 ; though presently, three distinct species are recognized ( C. occidentalis Wirth and Jones, C. sonorensis , and C. variipennis (Coquillet)) with C. albertensis Wirth and Jones and C. australis Wirth and Jones designated as synonyms of C. sonorensis 22 . Despite the current taxonomic arrangement, species identification remains difficult due to very subtle morphological differences and overall genetic similarities 23 , 24 . Additionally, the presence of cryptic species or hybridization within the complex could be further complicating proper species identification.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species delimitation and mitonuclear discordance within a species complex of biting midges

Shults

Hopken

Eyer

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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The inability to distinguish between species can be a serious problem in groups responsible for pathogen transmission. Culicoides biting midges transmit many pathogenic agents infecting wildlife and livestock. In North America, the C. variipennis species complex contains three currently recognized species, only one of which is a known vector, but limited species-specific characters have hindered vector surveillance. Here, genomic data were used to investigate population structure and genetic differentiation within this species complex. Single nucleotide polymorphism data were generated for 206 individuals originating from 17 locations throughout the United States and Canada. Clustering analyses suggest the occurrence of two additional cryptic species within this complex. All five species were significantly differentiated in both sympatry and allopatry. Evidence of hybridization was detected in three different species pairings indicating incomplete reproductive isolation. Additionally, COI sequences were used to identify the hybrid parentage of these individuals, which illuminated discordance between the divergence of the mitochondrial and nuclear datasets.

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“…Identification of the Culicoides is carried out on the adult stage. The study of immature stages and their ecology is a totally different work, and unfortunately there are still very few taxonomic keys (Kettle & Elson, 1978; Kettle & Lawson, 1952; Shults & Borkent, 2018) that allow the identification of Culicoides from their immature stages. Once the primers are standardized, they can be applied to other stages of development of this species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular identification of Culicoides oxystoma and Culicoides actoni vectors of bluetongue virus

Kar

Mondal

Pal

et al. 2023

Medical Vet Entomology

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Bluetongue is a non‐contagious viral disease causing significant economic losses throughout the world. The bluetongue vectors Culicoides oxystoma and Culicoides actoni, which play a significant role in the transmission of various pathogens, are distributed across different geographical realms. Adults are minute in size with wide phenotypic variation, so morphology‐based species identification is severely constrained by preparatory time and shortage of taxonomic expertise. To make the identification process rapid and effective, a specific primer was designed for the identification of C. actoni based on the multiple sequence alignment of ITS1 sequences of 11 Culicoides species. Along with this, a refined version of existing C. oxystoma specific primer was proposed. The primer sets distinguished C. oxystoma and C. actoni from a pooled sample consisting of other Culicoides species as well as closely related genera such as Forcipomyia and Alluaudomyia. Our findings suggest that the primers were species specific, sensitive and have potential to discriminate vector species C. oxystoma and C. actoni from pooled samples. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first ITS1 sequences generated and submitted in GenBank for Culicoides innoxius, Culicoides shortti, Culicoides palpifer and Culicoides anophelis and the first for Culicoides peregrinus, Culicoides fulvus and C. actoni from India.

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Pupae of the Nearctic species of Culicoides Latreille subgenus Monoculicoides Khalaf (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Cited by 591 publications

References 22 publications

Development of microsatellite markers for population genetics of biting midges and a potential tool for species identification of Culicoides sonorensis Wirth & Jones

Development of microsatellite markers for population genetics of biting midges and a potential tool for species identification of Culicoides sonorensis Wirth & Jones

Species delimitation and mitonuclear discordance within a species complex of biting midges

Molecular identification of Culicoides oxystoma and Culicoides actoni vectors of bluetongue virus

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