title: Wing Morphometry and Genetic Variability Between Culex coronator and Culex usquatus (Diptera: Culicidae), Two Sibling Species of the Coronator Group.
abstract: Culex coronator Dyar and Knab and Culex usquatus Dyar belong to the Coronator Group of the subgenus Culex. Culex coronator and Cx. usquatus are widespread and sympatric throughout their distribution range, which includes Brazil. Morphological identification of these species is based primarily on the characteristics of the male genitalia; females are indistinguishable using the qualitative characteristics employed in identification keys. The primary objective of this study was to distinguish females of Cx. coronator from those of Cx. usquatus employing both wing geometric morphometrics, and DNA sequences (NADH5, COI, Hunchback, and CAD). Additionally, we employed the isolation with migration model (IMa) to evaluate: 1) the migration rates and 2) the divergence time, between Cx. coronator and Cx. usquatus. Specimens were captured in Pariquera-Açu and Cananéia south-eastern São Paulo, Ribeira Valley, Brazil. Canonical variate analysis (CVA) demonstrated two groups in the morphospace. The accuracy of species recognition was moderate (82.6%) for Cx. coronator and low (60.8%) for Cx. usquatus. Bayesian analyses of concatenated gene sequences recovered from specimens of Cx. coronator separated the species into three lineages (herein referred to as Culex coronator A, B, and C), whereas Cx. usquatus specimens clustered into a single lineage. Lineages A and B of Cx. coronator intermixed with specimens of Cx. usquatus, and one specimen of Cx. coronator clustered into the Cx. usquatus lineage. The IMa analysis indicated that the divergence of Cx. coronator and Cx. usquatus is a slow process, with some degree of gene flow between the two species.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Saúde Pública - Universidade de São Paulo - Avenida Dr. Arnaldo, 715, São Paulo, CEP 01246-904, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Demari-Silva
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Saúde Pública - Universidade de São Paulo - Avenida Dr. Arnaldo, 715, São Paulo, CEP 01246-904, Brazil.
authors.forename: Laura Cristina
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Multini
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo - Avenida Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, 740, São Paulo, CEP 05403-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lincoln
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Suesdek
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Saúde Pública - Universidade de São Paulo - Avenida Dr. Arnaldo, 715, São Paulo, CEP 01246-904, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tatiane M P
authors.initials: TMP
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Saúde Pública - Universidade de São Paulo - Avenida Dr. Arnaldo, 715, São Paulo, CEP 01246-904, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Anice Mureb
authors.initials: MAM
authors.lastname: Sallum
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Saúde Pública - Universidade de São Paulo - Avenida Dr. Arnaldo, 715, São Paulo, CEP 01246-904, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mauro Toledo
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Marrelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D003465:Culex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins
keywords: geometric morphometrics; identification; species complex