A Multi-Gene Analysis and Potential Spatial Distribution of Species of the Strodei Subgroup of the Genus Nyssorhynchus (Diptera: Culicidae).

Nyssorhynchus strodei (Root) is an understudied species of potential epidemiological importance, having been found naturally infected in Brazil with Plasmodium falciparum Welch, Plasmodium vivax Grassi & Feletti, and Plasmodium malariae Feletti & Grassi. It belongs to the strodei subgroup that includes Nyssorhynchus albertoi (Unti), Nyssorhynchus arthuri (Unti), Nyssorhynchus rondoni (Neiva & Pinto), Nyssorhynchus striatus (Sant'Ana & Sallum), and three unnamed species, Nyssorhynchus arthuri B, Nyssorhynchus arthuri C, and Nyssorhynchus arthuri D. As the accurate identification of vector species is of fundamental importance for public health entomology, the aim of the study was to provide additional information for the presence of seven species that had been previously misidentified as Ny. strodei. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses using DNA sequences of the genes COI mtDNA, white, CAD and CAT nuclear genes confirmed Ny. albertoi, Ny. arthuri, Ny. strodei, and Ny. striatus as distinct groups within the strodei subgroup and corroborated the presence of three undescribed species under the name Ny. arthuri. Results of the GMYC model analysis corroborated Ny. arthuri B, Ny. arthuri C, and Ny. arthuri D; however, they did not distinguish between Ny. strodei and Ny. albertoi. Predicted distribution of seven species based on maximum entropy in MaxEnt showed that each species has its specific ecological niche suitability.

Análise multigênica e distribuição especial de espécies do Subgrupo Strodei de Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) (Diptera: Culicidae) / A multi-gene analysis and proposed distribution of species of the Strodei Subgroup of Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) (Diptera: Culicidae)

INTRODUÇÃO: O subgrupo Anopheles strodei é pouco estudado apesar de sua importância epidemiológica potencial. Espécies desse subgrupo foram encontradas naturalmente infectadas por parasitos que causam malária em humanos, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax e Plasmodium malariae, no Brasil. O subgrupo Anopheles strodei compreende oito espécies: An. rondoni (Neiva & Pinto), An. albertoi Unti, An. arthuri Unti, An. strodei Root, An. strodei CP, e três outras espécies que foram propostas por Bourke et al. (2013), mas não foram descritas: An. arthuri B, An. arthuri C e An. arthuri D. OBJETIVOS: A definição e delimitação precisa de espécies que atuam como vetores de agentes infecciosos é um dos objetivos da entomologia da saúde pública. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: 1) Estabelecer as relações filogenéticas entre espécies do Subgrupo Strodei; 2) Estimar a distribuição espacial potencial das espécies do Subgrupo Strodei; 3) Confirmar a presença de quatro espécies sob o nome An. arthuri. MÉTODOS: Sequências de DNA de um gene mitocondrial (fragmento de 658 pares de bases do código de barras do gene COI, citocromo oxidase subunidade I) e de três genes nucleares codificadores de proteínas (White, CAD e CAT) foram empregadas para estabelecer as relações filogenéticas potenciais entre as espécies que compõe o subgrupo An. strodei. As análises filogenéticas foram conduzidas utilizando abordagem Bayesiana das sequências de DNA dos quatro genes. Para estabelecer a distribuição espacial potencial das espécies, utilizou-se abordagem de máxima entropia de nichos ecológicos. Para isso as localidades das coletas, juntamente com os dados climáticos e geográficos foram introduzidos no programa MAXENT

Introduction Anopheles strodei sensu lato is an understudied subgroup of potential epidemiological importance, having been found naturally infected in Brazil with Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae. An. strodei s.l. is currently composed on 8 species: An. albertoi Unti, An. CP Form, An. rondoni (Neiva & Pinto), An. strodei Root, An. arthuri Unti and three other unnamed species that have been proposed by Bourke et al. (2013): An. arthuri B, An. arthuri C and An. arthuri D. Objectives As delineating species accurately is an essential goal of public health entomology, the objectives of this study were to: 1) Determine the phylogenetic relationships within the Strodei Subgroup and reaffirm or reject the hypothesis of the 3 new species (An. arthuri B, An. arthuri C and An. arthuri D) 2) Address the potential spatial distribution of species of the An. strodei subgroup to provide support for the candidate species in the Strodei Subgroup Methods Bayesian inference, which included DNA sequences of one mitochondrial and three nuclear protein coding genes: CO1, white, CAD and CAT, was used to determine the phylogenetic relationship within the group. To propose a species distribution, collection localities, along with climatic and geographic data were input into MAXENT