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Issue: Vol. 4250 No. 1: 3 Apr. 2017
Type: Article
Published: 2017-04-03
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4250.1.5
Page range: 67–76
Abstract views: 199
PDF downloaded: 3

Molecular approaches for blood meal analysis and species identification of mosquitoes (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae) in rural locations in southern England, United Kingdom

Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.
The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Woking, GU24 0NF
Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.
Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.
Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK. Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L697BE, UK
Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK. Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, UK
Diptera Blood meals mosquitoes cytochrome c oxidase I internal transcribed spacer 2 DNA barcoding southern England United Kingdom

Abstract

Thirty-four species of Culicidae are present in the UK, of which 15 have been implicated as potential vectors of arthropod-borne viruses such as West Nile virus. Identification of mosquito feeding preferences is paramount to the understanding of vector-host-pathogen interactions which, in turn, would assist in the control of disease outbreaks. Results are presented on the application of DNA barcoding for vertebrate species identification in blood-fed female mosquitoes in rural locations. Blood-fed females (n = 134) were collected in southern England from rural sites and identified based on morphological criteria. Blood meals from 59 specimens (44%) were identified as feeding on eight hosts: European rabbit, cow, human, barn swallow, dog, great tit, magpie and blackbird. Analysis of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I mtDNA barcoding region and the internal transcribed spacer 2 rDNA region of the specimens morphologically identified as Anopheles maculipennis s.l. revealed the presence of An. atroparvus and An. messeae. A similar analysis of specimens morphologically identified as Culex pipiens/Cx. torrentium showed all specimens to be Cx. pipiens (typical form). This study demonstrates the importance of using molecular techniques to support species-level identification in blood-fed mosquitoes to maximize the information obtained in studies investigating host feeding patterns.

 

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