Wing morphometrics of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) albifasciatus (Macquart, 1838) (Diptera: Culicidae) from different climatic regions of Argentina

Abstract

BackgroundGene flow restrictions between populations of Aedes albifasciatus, the vector of Western equine encephalitis and Dirophilaria immitis, have been described in the central region of Argentina. Genetic and eco-physiological variations usually result in local forms reflecting the climatic regions. Mosquito wings and their different parts have ecological functions in flight and communication. Therefore, wing shape could be considered an aspect of sexual dimorphism, and its eco-physiological responses can be expressed as morphological changes induced by the environment.MethodsTo compare the geographical and sexual variations with respect to wing shape and size in two Ae. albifasciatus populations from contrasting climates of Argentina (temperate: Buenos Aires, and the arid steppe of Patagonia: Sarmiento), the wings of adults reared in thermal trays at different constant temperatures (10–29 °C) were analyzed.ResultsThe wing size of Ae. albifasciatus showed inverse linear relationships with the rearing thermal condition and higher slope for Buenos Aires. In the cool range (10–17 °C), geographical size variations responded to the converse Bergmann’s rule, where Buenos Aires individuals were larger than those from Sarmiento. Sexual shape dimorphism occurred in both populations while geographical variation in shape was observed in both sexes.ConclusionsBuenos Aires individuals showed greater response sensitivity with respect to the size-temperature relation than those from Sarmiento. The converse Bergmann’s rule in size variation could be due to a higher development rate in Sarmiento to produce more cohorts in the limited favorable season. The shape could be more relevant with respect to the size in the study of population structures due to the size being more liable to vary due to changes in the environment. The geographical variations with respect to morphology could be favored by the isolation between populations and adaptations to the environmental conditions. Our results demonstrate that the shape and size of wing provide useful phenotypic information for studies related to sexual and environmental adaptations.

Wing morphometrics for identification of forensically important blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Iberian Peninsula

“…Furthermore, in general terms, this hypothesis seems to support the fact that Calliphoridae have a more static region at the wing base (lm 1, lm 12 to lm 17), the rest of the wing forms a more variable region. Similar results have been obtained in Culicidae, where females showed greater variability of shapes than males at the margen and medium area of the wing (the wings of the females were wider in the anterior-posterior sense, while the males had narrower wings); it is indicating a greater sensitivity to the different rearing temperature conditions in females [65][66].…”

Discrimination of Uranotaenia species (Diptera: Culicidae) from Madagascar based on morphology and wing morphometric traits

“…6) of Uranotaenis sp1 from the Anorana and Maromizaha forests would indicate a conspecific status. Moreover, the use of only females for wing morphometric analysis would reduce the interpretation bias due to the sexual shape dimorphism as described in Aedes albifasciatus (Macquart) (not recorded in Madagascar) (Garzón & Schweigmann 2018). The significant variation in the size of the wing with no difference in wing shape of Uranotaenia sp1 may be due to the fact that wing size variation is associated with environmental affects, while wing shape variation may be explained by chromosomal polymorphism (Ayala et al 2011).…”

Size and shape variations in wing morphology of Anopheles maculipennis s.s. Meigen, 1818 (Diptera: Culicidae) from northeastern Turkey

“…A previous study conducted between migrant and non-migrant populations in dragonflies showed important wing shape modifications (Johansson et al, 2009). A previous morphometrics study revealed that thinner wings could be more adaptive for Aedes albifasciatus (Macquart, 1838) (Diptera: Culicidae) populations to avoid disturbance in a windy environment (Garzón & Schweigmann, 2018). Other studies conducted with Ae.…”