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15 August 2020 Comparative Phylogeography and Integrative Taxonomy of Ochlerotatus caspius (Dipera: Culicidae) and Ochlerotatus dorsalis
Ljubinka Francuski, Jasmina Ludoški, Aleksandra Milutinović, Bosiljka Krtinić, Vesna Milankov
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Abstract

Given that accurately identifying pathogen vectors is vital for designing efficient mosquito control programs based on the proper surveillance of the epidemiologically important species, it has been suggested the complementary use of independently evolving genes and morphometric traits as a reliable approach for the characterization and delimitation of related species. Hence, we examined the spatial distribution of COI mtDNA and ITS2 rDNA variation from the historical perspective of Ochlerotatus caspius (Pallas, 1771) and O. dorsalis (Meigen, 1830), while simultaneously testing the utility of the two markers in integrative species delimitation when combined with phenotypic character analyses of larvae and adults. Despite the striking difference in haplotype diversity (high in COI mtDNA, low in ITS2 rDNA), no evident phylogeographic structure was apparent in the Palearctic O. caspius. The Holarctic O. dorsalis species was subdivided into two highly distinctive COI mtDNA phylogroups which corresponded to the Nearctic and Palearctic regions. Strong support for the independence of the two allopatric evolutionary lineages suggested that geographical barrier and climatic changes during Pleistocene caused vicariance of the ancestral range. COI mtDNA reliably distinguished O. caspius and O. dorsalis, while ITS2 rDNA yet again lacked the proper resolution for solving this problem. An integrative approach based on the larval and adult morphological traits have varying taxonomic applications due to their differential diagnostic values. Thus, by the implementation of an integrative taxonomic approach, we successfully detected species borders between the two epidemiologically relevant species and uncovered the presence of cryptic diversity within O. dorsalis.

© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Ljubinka Francuski, Jasmina Ludoški, Aleksandra Milutinović, Bosiljka Krtinić, and Vesna Milankov "Comparative Phylogeography and Integrative Taxonomy of Ochlerotatus caspius (Dipera: Culicidae) and Ochlerotatus dorsalis," Journal of Medical Entomology 58(1), 222-240, (15 August 2020). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaa153
Received: 25 March 2020; Accepted: 30 June 2020; Published: 15 August 2020
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KEYWORDS
COI mtDNA
cryptic diversity
ITS2 rDNA
linear and geometric morphometrics
molecular taxonomy
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