A New Species of the Simulium (Simulium) striatum Species Group (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Thailand, and Its Differentiation from Two Related Species Based on a Fast-Evolving Nuclear Gene

Takaoka H 1 , Srisuka W 2 , Low VL 3 , Saeung A 4

Affiliations 

  • 1 Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Malaysia
  • 2 Entomology Section, Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Thailand
  • 3 Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, Malaysia
  • 4 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
J Med Entomol, 2018 05 04;55(3):561-568.
PMID: 29361011 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjx241

Abstract

Simulium (Simulium) phraense sp. nov. (Diptera: Simuliidae) is described from females, males, pupae, and larvae from Thailand. This new species is placed in the Simulium striatum species group and is most similar to Simulium (Simulium) nakhonense Takaoka & Suzuki (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Thailand among species of the same species group but is barely distinguished from the latter species by lacking annular ridges on the surface of the pupal gill filaments. The fast-evolving nuclear big zinc finger (BZF) gene has successfully differentiated this new species from its allies, S. (S.) nakhonense and Simulium (Simulium) chiangmaiense Takaoka & Suzuki (Diptera: Simuliidae) of the S. striatum species group. The BZF gene sequences show that this new species is more closely related to S. (S.) nakhonense than to S. (S.) chiangmaiense, further supporting its morphological classification.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

MeSH terms
Similar publications