Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

DNA Identification and Diversity of The Vector Mosquitoes Culex Pipiens S.S. and Culex Torrentium in Belgium (Diptera: Culicidae)

Ann Vanderheyden
* ,
Nathalie Smitz
* ORCID logo ,
Katrien De Wolf
ORCID logo ,
Isra Deblauwe
,
Wouter Dekoninck
ORCID logo ,
Kenny Meganck
ORCID logo ,
Sophie Gombeer
,
Adwine Vanslembrouck
,
Jacobus De Witte
,
Anna Schneider
,
Ingrid Verlé
,
Marc De Meyer
,
Thierry Backeljau
,
Ruth Müller
,
Wim Van Bortel
ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 16 May 2022 / Approved: 24 May 2022 / Online: 24 May 2022 (03:48:37 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Vanderheyden, A.; Smitz, N.; De Wolf, K.; Deblauwe, I.; Dekoninck, W.; Meganck, K.; Gombeer, S.; Vanslembrouck, A.; De Witte, J.; Schneider, A.; Verlé, I.; De Meyer, M.; Backeljau, T.; Müller, R.; Van Bortel, W. DNA Identification and Diversity of the Vector Mosquitoes Culex pipiens s.s. and Culex torrentium in Belgium (Diptera: Culicidae). Diversity 2022, 14, 486. Vanderheyden, A.; Smitz, N.; De Wolf, K.; Deblauwe, I.; Dekoninck, W.; Meganck, K.; Gombeer, S.; Vanslembrouck, A.; De Witte, J.; Schneider, A.; Verlé, I.; De Meyer, M.; Backeljau, T.; Müller, R.; Van Bortel, W. DNA Identification and Diversity of the Vector Mosquitoes Culex pipiens s.s. and Culex torrentium in Belgium (Diptera: Culicidae). Diversity 2022, 14, 486.

Abstract

This survey reports on the DNA identification and occurrence of Culex torrentium and Cx. pipiens s.s. in Belgium. These native disease vector mosquito species are morphologically difficult to separate and the biotypes of Cx. pipiens s.s. are morphologically indistinguishable. Culex torrentium and Cx. pipiens s.s. were identified using the COI and ACE2 loci. We recorded 1,248 Cx. pipiens s.s. and 401 Cx. torrentium specimens from 24 locations in Belgium (collected between 2017 and 2019). Culex pipiens biotypes pipiens and molestus, and their hybrids, were differentiated by fragment size analysis of the CQ11 locus (956 pipiens and 227 molestus biotype specimens, 29 hybrids). Hybrids were observed at 13 out of 16 sympatric sites. These results confirm that both species are widespread in Belgium, but while Cx. torrentium revealed many COI haplotypes, Cx. pipiens s.s. showed only one abundant haplotype. This latter observation may either reflect a recent population-wide demographic or range expansion, or a recent bottleneck, possibly linked to a Wolbachia infection. Finally, new evidence is provided for the asymmetric but limited introgression of the molestus biotype into the pipiens biotype.

Keywords

Culex pipiens biotypes pipiens / molestus; hybrids; disease vectors; DNA-based identification; cyto-chrome c oxidase I (COI); fragment size analyses (ACE2, CQ11)

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Insect Science

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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