title: Barcoding Turkish Culex mosquitoes to facilitate arbovirus vector incrimination studies reveals hidden diversity and new potential vectors.
abstract: As a precursor to planned arboviral vector incrimination studies, an integrated systematics approach was adopted using morphology and DNA barcoding to examine the Culex fauna present in Turkey. The mitochondrial COI gene (658bp) were sequenced from 185 specimens collected across 11 Turkish provinces, as well as from colony material. Although by morphology only 9 species were recognised, DNA barcoding recovered 13 distinct species including: Cx. (Barraudius) modestus, Cx. (Culex) laticinctus, Cx. (Cux.) mimeticus, Cx. (Cux.) perexiguus, Cx. (Cux.) pipiens, Cx. (Cux.) pipiens form molestus, Cx. (Cux.) quinquefasciatus, Cx. (Cux.) theileri, Cx. (Cux.) torrentium, Cx. (Cux.) tritaeniorhynchus and Cx. (Maillotia) hortensis. The taxon formerly identified as Cx. (Neoculex) territans was shown to comprise two distinct species, neither of which correspond to Cx. territans s.s. These include Cx. (Neo.) impudicus and another uncertain species, which may be Cx. (Neo.) europaeus or Cx. (Neo.) martinii (herein=Cx. (Neo.) sp. 1). Detailed examination of the Pipiens Group revealed Cx. pipiens, Cx. pipiens f. molestus and the widespread presence of the highly efficient West Nile virus vector Cx. quinquefasciatus for the first time. Four new country records are reported, increasing the Culex of Turkey to 15 recognised species and Cx. pipiens f. molestus. A new taxonomic checklist is provided, annotated with respective vector competencies for transmission of arboviruses.
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ecology Section, ESRL Laboratories, 06800, Beytepe-Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: gunayf@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Filiz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gunay
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ecology Section, ESRL Laboratories, 06800, Beytepe-Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: kaynas@hacettepe.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alten
authors.affiliation: Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Science and Literature, Department of Biology, Ecology Division, 09010, Kepez-Aydin, Turkey. Electronic address: fsimsek@adu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Simsek
authors.affiliation: Kafkas University, Faculty of Science and Literature, Department of Biology, 36100 Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aldemir
authors.affiliation: Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Entomology Branch, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910-7500, USA; Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center, MRC-534, Smithsonian Institution, 4210 Silver Hill Rd, Suitland, MD 20746-2863, USA; Smithsonian Institution, Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Faculty of Preventative Medicine and Biometrics, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Electronic address: LintonY@si.edu.
authors.forename: Yvonne-Marie
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Linton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001103:Arboviruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003465:Culex / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic / Q000379:methods*; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013045:Species Specificity; D014421:Turkey; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000302:isolation & purification
keywords: Arbovirus; Culex; DNA barcoding; New records; Turkey; Vector