Сryptic species of Anopheles messeae sensu lato (Diptera: Culicidae), their identification, features and nomenclature

Abstract

Сryptic species of Anopheles messeae sensu lato (Diptera: Culicidae), their identification, features and nomenclatureThe paper describes the change in perspective in the composition of the A. messeae taxonomic unit. Initially, based on the disequilibrium of natural populations, the species was differentiated into A and B forms using chromosomal inversions as markers. The positive assortative mating, as well as the ecological features and geographical distribution of these forms, made it possible to give them the status of species in statu nascendi. Later, we additionally investigated the EcoRI restriction fragments of the genomic DNA and the ITS2 nucleotide sequences in the A and B A. messeae species. Unambiguous differences between the species in the former marker and semi-quantitative differences in the latter one, alongside with the absence of hybrids in the populations studied, led us to conclude that A. messeae s.l. is comprised of two homosequential cryptic species with parallel chromosomal polymorphisms. Unequivocal parallels between A. lewisi Ludlow, 1920 and A. messeae B in regards to their features, as well as the identity of A. daciae Linton et al., 2004 to A. messeae A in its ITS2 sequence, and to A. messeae Fall. in diagnostic chromosomal inversions, allowed us to consider A.

New Cytogenetic Photomap and Molecular Diagnostics for the Cryptic Species of the Malaria Mosquitoes Anopheles messeae and Anopheles daciae from Eurasia

“…Although different nomenclatures for the chromosomal inversions in An. messeae currently exist [ 16 ], we followed the most popular chromosome nomenclature, introduced by V.N. Stegniy in 1983 [ 43 ], which has been used in a significant number of studies [ 5 , 7 , 8 , 11 , 48 , 49 ].…”

“…Also, the karyotype X11 was used because, according to recent studies, the X0 arrangement is extremely rare [ 40 ] or absent in An. messeae populations [ 4 , 16 ]. The X11 karyotype was used for all previously constructed chromosome maps for An.…”

“…A later study indicated that the species An. messeae A is synonymous to the cryptic species Anopheles daciae [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], which was discriminated from An. messeae based on five nucleotide substitutions in the Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) and several morphological differences at the egg stage [ 17 , 18 ].…”