Tentative checklist of the mosquitoes of Vietnam employing new classification for tribe Aedini (Diptera, Culicidae)

A multiplex PCR assay for the identification of 5 sibling species of the Lindesayi Complex of the genus Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) in Bhutan

Five sibling species of the Lindesayi Complex of the genus Anopheles have been discovered in Bhutan: An. druki Somboon, Namgay & Harbach, An. himalayensis Somboon, Namgay & Harbach, An. lindesayi Giles, An. lindesayi species B, and An. thimphuensis Somboon, Namgay & Harbach. The species are morphologically similar in the adult and/or immature stages. This study aimed to develop a multiplex PCR assay to identify the 5 species. Allele-specific primers were designed for specific nucleotide segments of ITS2 sequences previously reported for each species. The assay provided products of 183 bp for An. druki, 338 bp for An. himalayensis, 126 bp for An. lindesayi, 290 bp for An. lindesayi species B, and 370 bp for An. thimphuensis. The use of the assay produced consistent results. The assay is relatively inexpensive, enables the rapid identification of a large number of specimens, and will foster further studies of the Lindesayi Complex.

The insupportable validity of mosquito subspecies (Diptera: Culicidae) and their exclusion from culicid classification

Beginning about 80 years ago, the recognition of morphological varieties of mosquitoes was gradually replaced by the recognition of subspecies. As an examination of revisionary and detailed taxonomic studies of mosquitoes clearly shows, subspecies are untenable concepts which have been synonymized with nominotypical forms or recognized as distinct species. Thus, from our perspective, subspecies is not a functional or practical taxonomic rank. Consequently, in this study we critically assessed the taxonomic status of the 120 nominal taxa distinguished as subspecies before now to determine whether they should be recognized as separate species or synonymous names. As a result, 96 subspecies are formally elevated to specific rank, 22 are relegated to synonymy with nominotypical forms, one is considered a nomen dubium, one a species inquirenda and the names of four nominal species regarded as synonyms are revalidated. The subspecies and their new status are listed in a conspectus. The revalidated species include Anopheles argentinus (Brèthes, 1912), from synonymy with An. pseudopunctipennis Theobald, 1901c; An. peruvianus Tamayo, 1907, from synonymy with An. pseudopunctipennis as nomen dubium; Culex major Edwards, 1935, from synonymy with Cx. annulioris consimilis Newstead, 1907; and Trichoprosopon trichorryes (Dyar & Knab, 1907), from synonymy with Tr. compressum Lutz, 1905. Additionally, the type locality of Anopheles sergentii Theobald, 1907 is restricted to El Outaya, Biskra Province, Algeria. A complete list of species to be retained, added to or removed from the Encyclopedia of Life, with a few corrections, is provided.

Mosquitoes and Mosquito-Borne Diseases in Vietnam

Mosquito-borne diseases pose a significant threat to humans in almost every part of the world. Key factors such as global warming, climatic conditions, rapid urbanisation, frequent human relocation, and widespread deforestation significantly increase the number of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases in Vietnam, and elsewhere around the world. In southeast Asia, and notably in Vietnam, national mosquito control programmes contribute to reducing the risk of mosquito-borne disease transmission, however, malaria and dengue remain a threat to public health. The aim of our review is to provide a complete checklist of all Vietnamese mosquitoes that have been recognised, as well as an overview of mosquito-borne diseases in Vietnam. A total of 281 mosquito species of 42 subgenera and 22 genera exist in Vietnam. Of those, Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex are found to be potential vectors for mosquito-borne diseases. Major mosquito-borne diseases in high-incidence areas of Vietnam include malaria, dengue, and Japanese encephalitis. This review may be useful to entomological researchers for future surveys of Vietnamese mosquitoes and to decision-makers responsible for vector control tactics.

The Anopheles lindesayi Species Complex (Diptera: Culicidae) in Bhutan

This paper deals with species A, C, D, and E of the Lindesayi Complex of Anopheles subgenus Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) that were recently recorded from Bhutan. Species B is not included due to insufficient data. Species A is Anopheles lindesayi sensu stricto, and species C, D, and E are new species that are formally described and named herein as Anopheles druki Somboon, Namgay & Harbach, Anopheles himalayensis Somboon, Namgay & Harbach and Anopheles thimphuensis Somboon, Namgay & Harbach, respectively. Morphological characteristics of the adults, larval and pupal stages of each species are provided and compared with An. lindesayi from Bhutan.

Checklist of the mosquito fauna (Diptera, Culicidae) of Cambodia

Between 2016 and 2020, the Medical and Veterinary Entomology unit of the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge collected over 230,000 mosquitoes. Based on this sampling effort, a checklist of 290 mosquito species in Cambodia is presented. This is the first attempt to list the Culicidae fauna of the country. We report 49 species for the first time in Cambodia. The 290 species belong to 20 genera: Aedeomyia (1 sp.), Aedes (55 spp.), Anopheles (53 spp.), Armigeres (26 spp.), Coquillettidia (3 spp.), Culex (57 spp.), Culiseta (1 sp.), Ficalbia (1 sp.), Heizmannia (10 spp.), Hodgesia (3 spp.), Lutzia (3 spp.), Malaya (2 spp.), Mansonia (5 spp.), Mimomyia (7 spp.), Orthopodomyia (3 spp.), Topomyia (4 spp.), Toxorhynchites (4 spp.), Tripteroides (6 spp.), Uranotaenia (27 spp.), and Verrallina (19 spp.). The Cambodian Culicidae fauna is discussed in its Southeast Asian context. Forty-three species are reported to be of medical importance, and are involved in the transmission of pathogens.

High diversity of mosquito vectors in Cambodian primary schools and consequences for arbovirus transmission

Only few data exist in Cambodia on mosquito diversity and their potential role as vectors. Many arboviruses, such as dengue and Japanese encephalitis, are endemic and mostly affect children in the country. This research sets out to evaluate vector relative abundance and diversity in primary schools in Cambodia in an attempt to explain the apparent burden of dengue fever, severe dengue (DEN), Japanese encephalitis (JE), other arboviral diseases and malaria among children, 15 years and under, attending selected primary schools through vector surveys. Entomological surveys were implemented in primary schools in two provinces of Cambodia to assess the potential risk of exposure of schoolchildren to mosquito vector species. Light traps and BG traps were used to collect adult mosquitoes in 24 schools during the rainy and dry seasons of 2017 and 2018 in Kampong Cham and Tboung Khmum provinces. A total of 61 species were described, including Aedes, Culex and Anopheles species. The relative abundance and biodiversity of mosquito species were dependent on the month and school. Of the 37,725 mosquitoes caught during the study, three species accounted for three-quarters of the relative abundance: Culex vishnui, Anopheles indefinitus and Culex quinquefasciatus. More importantly, nearly 90% of the mosquitoes caught in the schools were identified as potential vectors of pathogens including Japanese encephalitis, dengue, and malaria parasites. Our results showed that schools in Cambodia represent a risk for vector-borne disease transmission and highlight the importance of implementing vector control in schools in Cambodia to decrease the risk of transmission.