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A novel molecular and chromosomal lineage of the anthropophilic Simulium (Simulium) rufibasis subgroup (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Taiwan

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Abstract

The Simulium rufibasis subgroup is one of three subgroups of the Simulium (Simulium) tuberosum species-group; it is characterized by a pair of clustered stout hairs on the ventral surface of female abdominal segment 7. A member of the S. rufibasis subgroup in Taiwan was investigated morphologically and genetically using the universal cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcoding gene and polytene chromosomal banding pattern. The Taiwanese material is morphologically similar to S. rosliramlii Takaoka & Chen from Vietnam and represents the second species of the S. rufibasis subgroup known from Taiwan. It also represents a novel molecular lineage that is distinct from three other primary lineages identified as S. doipuiense, S. doipuiense/S. rufibasis, and S. weji previously reported from Thailand. The mitochondrial evidence for a distinct lineage in Taiwan is supported by chromosomal analysis, which revealed unique sex chromosomes. For nomenclatural stability, we associate the name S. arisanum Shiraki with the Taiwanese entity. Originally described from females from Taiwan, S. arisanum until now has remained an enigmatic species.

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Funding

This work was supported by research grants from University of Malaya (RP021C-16SUS and RU005-201). For PHA, this is Technical Contribution of the Clemson University Experiment Station (6658) and is based on work supported in part by NIFA/USDA under project number SC-1700527.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Van Lun Low, Hiroyuki Takaoka & Zubaidah Ya’cob

  2. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

    Peter H. Adler

  3. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Tiong Kai Tan & Yvonne Ai Lian Lim

  4. Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan

    Francis Cheng-Hsuan Weng, Cheng-Yu Chen & Daryi Wang

  5. Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Chee Dhang Chen & Mohd Sofian-Azirun

Authors
  1. Van Lun Low
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  2. Hiroyuki Takaoka
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  3. Peter H. Adler
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  4. Tiong Kai Tan
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  5. Francis Cheng-Hsuan Weng
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  6. Cheng-Yu Chen
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  7. Yvonne Ai Lian Lim
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  8. Zubaidah Ya’cob
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  9. Chee Dhang Chen
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  10. Mohd Sofian-Azirun
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  11. Daryi Wang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Van Lun Low or Peter H. Adler.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Section Editor: Helge Kampen

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Low, V.L., Takaoka, H., Adler, P.H. et al. A novel molecular and chromosomal lineage of the anthropophilic Simulium (Simulium) rufibasis subgroup (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Taiwan. Parasitol Res 117, 3137–3143 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-6011-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-6011-7

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