Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Articles
Published: 2012-02-13
Page range: 21–32
Abstract views: 133
PDF downloaded: 67

Confirmation of Aedes koreicus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Belgium and description of morphological differences between Korean and Belgian specimens validated by molecular identification

Department of Biomedical Science, Vector Biology Group, Medical Entomology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
The Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center, MRC-534, Smithsonian Institution 4210 Silver Hill Rd., Suitland, MD 20746-2863 USA
Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers University, 180 Jones Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA
Department of Biomedical Science, Vector Biology Group, Medical Entomology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Antwerpen (Wilrijk), Belgium
Department of Biomedical Science, Vector Biology Group, Medical Entomology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
Diptera Aedes koreicus morphological comparison egg structure molecular identification ND4 Republic of Korea Belgium

Abstract

In 2008, specimens resembling Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus (Edwards) (also Ochlerotatus koreicus or Hulecoeteomyia kore-ica) were found in Belgium during a national mosquito survey (MODIRISK). Small but consistent differences were, how-ever, observed between the specimens described from Peninsula Korea and those found in Belgian. To achieve the correctidentification a detailed morphological comparison was made between the Belgian specimens and reference material fromKorean mainland and island populations housed at the Smithsonian Institution (Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (WR-BU), Washington, USA). The identification was furthermore supported by molecular evidence based on the ND4 region(mtDNA) of available Korean and Belgian mosquito specimens. Morphological and molecular comparison confirmed theinitial identification of Aedes koreicus. Based on morphological characteristics, the species collected in Belgium mostlikely originated from Jeju-do, an island south of the Korean Peninsula. The observed dissimilarities between Korean andBelgian specimens resembled a number of morphological differences mentioned previously between female adults col-lected on the Korean Peninsula and Jeju-do. This is the first report of Aedes koreicus outside its natural distribution range.A correct and rapid identification of new invading and spreading vector species is crucial for the implementation of effec-tive control measurements. Hence a correct and easy accessible description of all possible variations of species arrivingin new areas is highly recommended. Therefore, a comparative morphological study on the Smithsonian material of thespecies from Korean mainland, island population and from Belgium is given, pictures of the main aberrant characteristicsand scanning electron microscope images of all stages of the species are included and molecular confirmation of the identification based on the mtDNA ND4 region is provided.

References

  1. Becker, N., Petric, D., Zgomba, M., Boase, C., Dahl, C. & Kaiser, A. (2003) Mosquitoes and their control. Kluwer Academic/Plenum, New York, United States.

    Cameron, E.C., Wilkerson, R.C., Mogi, M., Myiagi, I., Toma, T., Kim, H.-C. & Fonseca, D.M. (2010) Molecular phylogenetics of Aedes japonicus, a disease vector that recently invaded western Europe, North America, and the Hawaiian Islands. Journal of Medical Entomology, 47, 527–535.

    Collins, F.H., Mendez, M.A., Rasmussen, M.O., Mehaffey, P.C., Besansky, N.J. & Finnerty, V. (1987) A Ribosomal-RNA gene probe differentiates member species of the Anopheles-gambiae complex. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 37, 37–41.

    Cook, S., Diallo, M., Sall, A.A., Cooper, A. & Holmes, E.C. (2005) Mitochondrial markers for molecular identification of Aedes mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) involved in transmission of arboviral disease in West Africa. Journal of Medical Entomology, 42, 19–28.

    Edwards, F.W. (1917) Notes on Culicidae with descriptions of new species. Bulletin on Entomological Research, 7, 201–229.

    Erfmeier, A. & Bruelheide, H. (2010) Invasibility or invasiveness? Effects of habitat, genotype,and their interaction on invasive Rhododendron ponticum populations. Biological Invasions, 12, 657–676.

    Folmer, O., Black, M., Hoeh, W., Lutz, R. & Vrijenhoek, R. (1994) DNA primers for amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I from diverse metazoan invertebrates. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology, 3, 294–299.

    Fonseca, D.M., Campbell, S., Crans, W.J., Mogi, M., Miyagi, I., Toma, T., Bullians, M., Andreadis, T.G., Berry, R.L., Pagac, B., Sardelis, M.R. & Wilkerson, R.C. (2001) Aedes (Finlaya) japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae), a newly recognized mosquito in the United States: analysis of genetic variation in the United States and putative source population. Journal of Medical Entomology, 38, 135–146.

    Hlaing, T., Tun-Lin, W., Somboon, P., Socheat, D., Setha, T., Min, S., Chang, M.S. & Walton, C. (2009) Mitochondrial pseudogenes in the nuclear genome of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes: implications for past and future population genetic studies. BMC Genetics, 10, 11. doi: 10.1186/1471-2156-10-11.

    Kearney, M., Porter, W.P., Williams, C., Ritchie, S. & Hoffmann, A.A. (2009) Integrating biophysical models and evolutionary theory to predict climatic impacts on species' ranges: the dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti in Australia. Functional Ecology, 23, 528–538.

    Proft, J., Maier, W.A. & Kampen, H. (1999). Identification of six sibling species of the Anopheles maculipennis complex (Diptera: Culicidae) by a polymerase chain reaction assay. Parasitology Research, 85, 837–843.

    Reinert, J.F. (2000) New classification for the composite genus Aedes (Diptera : Culicidae : Aedini), elevation of subgenus Ochlerotatus to generic rank, reclassification of the other subgenera, and notes on certain subgenera and species. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 16, 175–188.

    Reinert, J.F., Harbach, R.E. & Kitching, I.J. (2004) Phylogeny and classification of Aedini (Diptera: Culicidae), based on morphological characters of all life stages. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 142, 289–368.

    Reinert, J.F., Harbach, R.E. & Kitching, I.J. (2008) Phylogeny and classification of Finlaya and allied taxa (Diptera: Culicidae: Aedini) based on morphological data from all life stages. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 148, 1–101.

    Reinert, J.F., Harbach, R.E. & Kitching, I.J. (2008) Phylogeny and classification of Ochlerotatus and allied taxa (Diptera: Culicidae: Aedini) based on morphological data from all life stages. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 153, 29–114.

    Reinert, J.F., Harbach, R.E. & Kitching, I.J. (2009) Phylogeny and classification of tribe Aedini (Diptera: Culicidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 157, 700–709.

    Rueda, L.M., Brown, T.L., Kim, H.C., Klein, T.A., Thongkukiatkul, A. & Sherwood, V. (2009) Description and comparison of morphological structures of the eggs of Anopheles hyrcanus group and related species (Diptera: Culicidae) from the Republic of Korea. Zootaxa, 2268, 23–40.

    Schaffner, F., Angel, G., Geoffroy, B., Hervy, J.-P., Rhaiem, A. & Brunhes, J. (2001) The Mosquitoes of Europe. An identification and training programme. IRD Editions & EID Méditerranée, Montpellier.

    Schaffner, F., Kaufmann, C., Hegglin, D. & Mathis, A. (2009) The invasive mosquito Aedes japonicus in central Europe. Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 23, 448–451.

    Schaffner, F., Van Bortel, W. & Coosemans, M. (2004) First record of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus in Belgium. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 20, 201–203.

    Scholte, E.J., Den Hartog, W., Braks, M., Reusken, C., Dik, M. & Hessels, A. (2009) First report of a North American invasive mosquito species Ochlerotatus atropalpus (Coquillett) in the Netherlands, 2009. Eurosurveillance, 14. Available from http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19400 (accessed 22 December 2011)

    Scholte, E.J., Den Hartog, W., Dik, M., Schoelitsz, B., Brooks, M., Schaffner, F., Foussadier, R., Braks, M. & Beeuwkes, J. (2010) Introduction and control of three invasive mosquito species in the Netherlands, July-October 2010. Eurosurveillance, 15. Available from http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19710 (accessed 22 December 2011)

    Scott, J.J., Crans, S.C. & Crans, W.J. (2001) Use of an infusion-baited gravid trap to collect adult Ochlerotatus japonicus. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 17, 142–143.

    Scott, J.J. & Crans, W.J. (2003) Expanded polystyrene (EPS) floats for surveillance of Ochlerotatus japonicus. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 19, 376–381.

    Shepard, J.J., Andreadis, T.G. & Vossbrinck, C.R. (2006). Molecular phylogeny and evolutionary relationships among mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from the northeastern United States based on small subunit ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA) sequences. Journal of Medical Entomology, 43, 443–454.

    Tamura, K, Peterson, D, Peterson, N, Stecher, G, Nei, M, & Kumar, S. (2011) MEGA5: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis using Maximum Likelihood, Evolutionary Distance, and Maximum Parsimony Methods. Molecular Biology and Evolution doi: 10.1093/molbev/msr121.

    Tanaka, K., Mizusawa, K. & & Saugstad, E.S. (1979) A revision of the adult and larval mosquitoes of Japan (including the Ryukyu archipelago and the Ogasawara Islands) and Korea (Diptera: Culicidae). Contributions of the American Entomological Institute (Ann Arbor), 16, 1–987.

    Versteirt, V., Schaffner, F., Garros, C., Dekoninck, W., Coosemans, M. & Van Bortel, W. (2009) Introduction and establishment of the exotic mosquito species Aedes japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Belgium. Journal of Medical Entomo-logy, 46, 1464–1467.

    Widdel, A.K., McCuiston, L.J., Crans, W.J., Kramer, L.D. & Fonseca, D.M. (2005) Finding needles in the haystack: single copy microsatellite loci for Aedes japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae). American Journal of Tropical Medecine and Hygiene, 73, 744–748.