title: A molecular analysis of the subgenus Transphlebotomus Artemiev, 1984 (Phlebotomus, Diptera, Psychodidae) inferred from ND4 mtDNA with new northern records of Phlebotomus mascittii Grassi, 1908.
abstract: A comparative molecular study was performed on the three species of Phlebotomine sandflies belonging to the subgenus Transphlebotomus Artemiev whose morphological differentiation is difficult. All three species have been suspected, but never proven, to be vectors of Leishmania infantum. The ND4 gene from mtDNA was sequenced from specimens of five populations of Phlebotomus mascittii Grassi from Belgium (the first records of Phlebotomine sandflies from this country), France, and Germany. Additionally, specimens from one population of Lebanese P. canaaniticus Adler and Theodor and of one population of Cypriot P. economidesi Leger, Depaquit and Ferte topotypes were examined. The results reveal the validity of the three taxa inferred from molecular variation and a molecular homogeneity shared by all of the populations of P. mascittii included into the present study. The epidemiological consequences are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 51 rue Cognacq-Jay, 51096, Reims Cedex, France. jerome.depaquit@univ-reims.fr
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Depaquit
authors.forename: Torsten J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Naucke
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ferté
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Léger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D017344:Genes, Insect; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010691:Phlebotomus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000469:parasitology; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial