Morphological and Molecular Analyses of Simulium rufibasis (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand

Hiroyuki Takaoka; Wichai Srisuka; Van Lun Low; Atiporn Saeung

doi:10.1093/jme/tjy180

Morphological and Molecular Analyses of Simulium rufibasis (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand

J Med Entomol. 2019 Feb 25;56(2):408-415. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjy180.

Authors

Hiroyuki Takaoka¹, Wichai Srisuka², Van Lun Low¹, Atiporn Saeung³

Affiliations

¹ Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
² Entomology Section, Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Maerim, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
³ Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

PMID: 30398654
DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy180

Abstract

A man-biting black fly species so far regarded as Simulium rufibasis Brunetti in Thailand was morphologically analyzed. It was found to be almost indistinguishable in the female from S. rufibasis sensu stricto but distinguishable in the male by the slender fore basitarsus and abdominal segments 2, 6, and 7 each with a pair of shiny dorsolateral patches, and in the pupa by the absence of spine-combs on abdominal segment 7 and terminal hooks on segment 9. It is described as a new species, Simulium tenebrosum. Taxonomic notes are given to separate it from all 11 known species of the S. rufibasis subgroup of the Simulium (Simulium) tuberosum species-group. An analysis of the COI gene sequences shows that this new species is distantly separated from the closely related species.

Keywords: COI gene; Oriental Region; aquatic insects; biodiversity; taxonomy.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Female
Male
Simuliidae / anatomy & histology*
Simuliidae / classification*
Simuliidae / genetics
Thailand