Wing size and shape variation of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) populations from the south and north slopes of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco

Abstract

The wing shape and size morphology of populations of the medically important phlebotomine sand fly, Phlebotomus papatasi, were examined in two endemic (south of the Atlas Mountains) and nonendemic (north of the Atlas Mountains) foci of cutaneaous leishmaniasis by using geometric morphometrics in Morocco. Although it is present in all of Morocco, P. papatasi is the main vector of Leishmania major in only southern part of the Atlas Mountains. There are four major mountain ranges that serve as geographical barriers for species distribution in the study area and at least four gaps were recognized among these barriers. We found statistically significant differences in wing shape morphology between southern and northern populations. Analysis clearly recognized two main groups of populations on both sides of the mountains. The graphical depiction of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Variates Analysis (CVA) confirmed our morphometric study suggesting that the difference in wing morphology between the populations indicates that the population of P. papatasi shows phenotypic plasticity in the study area. According to centroid size analyses, which were used as measures of wing size differences among different sites, the north population of P. papatasi had relatively larger wings than the south population. Journal of Vector Ecology 37 (1): 137-147. 2012.

The Current Status of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Morocco

“…Its transmission is ensured by Ph. papatasi as the vector (10). The biochemical identification was identical for all strains isolated from the reservoir, the man and the vector, as L. major MON 25.…”

“…This CL has been known since 1914 (11). At first the disease was known by a few sporadic cases (10,12). Later, this disease has taken an epidemic form separated by calm periods (5).…”

Comparative study of the phlebotomine sand fly species (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) of the genera Nyssomyia Barretto, 1962, Bichromomyia Artemiev, 1991, and Migonemyia Galati, 1995, vectors of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil

“…In contrast, a study done by De la Riva et al (2001) with populations of species of Lutzomyia longipalpis Lutz & Neiva, 1912 using 5 anatomical landmarks on the wings showed an inability to separate populations from diverse geographical regions while, at the same time, managing to group these population into two groups, one with specimens of the most heterogeneous areas and the other with specimens from the more homogeneous areas. Prudhomme et al (2012) compared the wings of Phlebotomus papatasi in different regions of Morocco (North and South) using 16 anatomical landmarks on the wings. Analysis of canonical variates and size of the centroid managed to separate the populations, suggesting that these differences may be due to environmental pressures as local populations are found in regions that include a variety of profiles.…”

The effects of larval diet on adult life-history traits of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

“…Morphometric analysis of wing landmarks has been used to determine the variability in size of laboratory strains of flies and differences between natural populations (e.g. Milankov et al, 2010;Prudhomme et al, 2012). Measurements of differences in wing size (based on centroid size analysis) provide information that can be evaluated statistically and critically (Rohlf, 1993).…”