title: Discrimination ofPaederus fuscipesandPaederus littoralisby mtDNA-COI PCR-RFLP.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Linear dermatitis is endemic in Iran where most cases occur in the Caspian Sea coast and Fars province. The disease is caused by beetles of the genusPaederuswhich are active from early spring to beginning of autumn although its incidence rises from May to August. The classic taxonomy ofPaederusspp. is based on the male genitalia that is very complex and needs expertise. In this study, we report a DNA-based method to discriminatePaederus fuscipesandPaederus littoralis(=syn:P. lenkoranus,P. ilsae).
  
  
  METHODS
  Type specimens were collected from north and south of Iran. Molecular typing of the species was performed using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified fragments of mtDNA-COI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sequence analyses of the data obtained in this study showed significant DNA polymorphisms. There were 89 substitutions between COI sequences of the two species. The mtDNA-COI fragment comprises several useful species-specific restriction sites comprisingHaeIII that could result in distinctively different species-specific PCR-RFLP profiles. TheHaeIII enzyme cuts the 872 bp PCR amplicon ofP. littoralisinto 737 and 100 bp and two small nonvisible bands whereas it does not cutP. fuscipesamplicon into fragments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that molecular typing is useful method and allows one to differentiate between two species and is recommended for discrimination of otherPaederusspecies, which morphologically are indistinguishable or very difficult to be distinguished.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sahar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bazrafkan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vatandoost
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heydari
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bakhshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Somayeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panahi-Moghadam
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Saedeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hashemi-Aghdam
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mohtarami
authors.affiliation: Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahimiforoushan
authors.affiliation: Celal Bayar University Alaşehir, Vocational School, Department of Entomology, Alaşehir, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sinan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anlaandş
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mansoreh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shayeghi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Oshaghi
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Mohammad
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Abtahi
keywords: Linear dermatitis; Molecular typing; PCR-RFLP; Paederus; mtDNA-COI