title: Molecular data reveal a cryptic species within the Culex pipiens mosquito complex.
abstract: The Culex pipiens mosquito complex is a group of evolutionarily closely related species including C. pipiens and Culex quinquefasciatus, both infected by the cytoplasmically inherited Wolbachia symbiont. A Wolbachia-uninfected population of C. pipiens was however described in South Africa and was recently proposed to represent a cryptic species. In this study, we reconsidered the existence of this species by undertaking an extensive screening for the presence of Wolbachia-uninfected C. pipiens specimens and by characterizing their genetic relatedness with known members of the complex. We first report on the presence of Wolbachia-uninfected specimens in several breeding sites. We next confirm that these uninfected specimens unambiguously belong to the C. pipiens complex. Remarkably, all uninfected specimens harbour mitochondrial haplotypes that are either novel or identical to those previously found in South Africa. In all cases, these mitochondrial haplotypes are closely related, but different, to those found in other C. pipiens complex members known to be infected by Wolbachia. Altogether, these results corroborate the presence of a widespread cryptic species within the C. pipiens species complex. The potential role of this cryptic C. pipiens species in the transmission of pathogens remains however to be determined. The designation 'Culex juppi nov. sp.' is proposed for this mosquito species.
authors: Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Dumas
authors: Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.|Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Arboviruses and Insect Vectors, Paris, France.
authors: C M
authors: CM
authors: Atyame
authors: School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK.
authors: C A
authors: CA
authors: Malcolm
authors: UMR MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), IRD 224, CNRS 5290, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Le Goff
authors: Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Unal
authors: Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Makoundou
authors: Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Pasteur
authors: Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Weill
authors: Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.|UMR MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), IRD 224, CNRS 5290, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Duron
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D003465:Culex / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D006239:Haplotypes; D007814:Larva / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D010802:Phylogeny; D011679:Pupa / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D013559:Symbiosis; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004247:DNA
keywords: Culex pipiens mosquito complex; Wolbachia; cytoplasmic incompatibility; mitochondria