New and Common Haplotypes Shape Genetic Diversity in Asian Tiger Mosquito Populations from Costa Rica and Panama

Abstract

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae), is a vector of several human pathogens. Ae. albopictus is also an invasive species that, over recent years, has expanded its range out of its native Asia. Ae. albopictus was suspected to be present in Central America since the 1990s, and its presence was confirmed by most Central American nations by 2010. Recently, this species has been regularly found, yet in low numbers, in limited areas of Panamá and Costa Rica (CR). Here, we report that short sequences (∼558 bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 genes of Ae. albopictus, had no haplotype diversity. Instead, there was a common haplotype for each gene in both CR and Panamá. In contrast, a long COI sequence (∼1,390 bp) revealed that haplotype diversity (±SD) was relatively high in CR (0.72±0.04) when compared with Panamá (0.33±0.13), below the global estimate for reported samples (0.89±0.01). The long COI sequence allowed us to identify seven (five new) haplotypes in CR and two (one new) in Panamá. A haplotype network for the long COI gene sequence showed that samples from CR and Panamá belong to a single large group. The long COI gene sequences suggest that haplotypes in Panamá and CR, although similar to each other, had a significant geographic differentiation (Kst=1.33; P<0.001). Thus, most of our results suggest a recent range expansion in CR and Panamá.

Maternal invasion history of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus into the Isthmus of Panama: Implications for the control of emergent viral disease agents

“…Clade A and Sub-clade B (b) were likely introduced through cargo vessels from Europe and from the United States, respectively. Sub-clade B (c) was probably introduced through the shipment of used tires via land transportation from Costa Rica, as anticipated in previous studies [ 28 , 37 ]. However, to corroborate theses hypotheses, future studies will need to use high-resolution multi-locus genomic data and wider sampling scheme, including specimens from Ae .…”

“…A previous study hypothesized that Panamanian population of Ae . albopictus originated entirely from tropical Costa Rica [ 37 ]. Here, we posit that colonization of Ae .…”

“…In Panama, details about the invasion history of Aedes mosquitoes are still limited. A recent study by Futami and collaborators [ 37 ] suggested that Ae . albopictus invaded Panama on one single occasion via land transportation from Costa Rica, but the low number of mosquitoes and few sites sampled in that study make any conclusion incomplete.…”

The Worldwide Spread of the Tiger Mosquito as Revealed by Mitogenome Haplogroup Diversity

“…Despite the availability of mitogenomes, virtually all A. albopictus mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) surveys were restricted to short segments of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and/or NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) genes, suggesting a limited phylogeographic differentiation among populations, possibly also caused by the inclusion in these studies of laboratory stocks or sibling eggs (Delatte et al, 2011; Kamgang et al, 2011, 2013; Porretta et al, 2012; Zhong et al, 2013; Zawani et al, 2014; Futami et al, 2015) and the postulated cytoplasmatic sweep caused by Wolbachia infection (Armbruster et al, 2003). However, more extensive sequencing of the COI gene has revealed more variation than previously thought (Goubert et al, 2016), a scenario also partially supported by microsatellite studies that highlighted slight genetic diversity between native and adventive populations with high variability within populations (Manni et al, 2015).…”

Effect of Common Ornamental Plants on the Survivorship and Fecundity of the Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

“…Palabras Clave: mosquito tigre asiático; vegetación; alimentación de azúcar; biología; administración Aedes albopictus Skuse (Diptera: Culicidae) is currently considered to be one of the most invasive human disease vectors globally, and has expanded its habitat from Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean islands to eastern Asia, northeast Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas (Benedict et al 2007;Futami et al 2015;Christy et al 2017). This species has adapted successfully from its natural habitats (e.g., tree holes, bamboo tubes, bromeliads) in rural areas to artificial habitats (e.g., tires, plastic buckets, flower pots, etc.)…”