Image of the head of the Wyeomyia flui species. Photo: reproduction from article.
An international team of researchers, led by experts from the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz), described a new subgenre of Culicidae, popularly known as mosquitoes.
Named Leonidasdeanea, in honor of the celebrated entomologist Leonidas Deane, the subgenus came to include three "sister species": Wyeomyia luciae, Wyeomyia chalcocephala e Wyeomyia flui.
The new group represents a reorganization in the family tree of these insects. This conclusion was made possible thanks to the use of modern DNA analysis technologies and detailed observation of the mosquitoes' physical appearance during the different stages of their life cycle.
Among the highlights of the reorganization is the revalidation of the species. Wy. luciae, which since the 1950s was incorrectly considered to be the same mosquito as the Wy. Chalcocephala.
Furthermore, the study also determined that the species Wy. surinamensis is, in fact, a synonym for Wy. flows, ending a decades-long identity confusion.
Scientists analyzed the morphological characteristics of the insects in detail. Photo: reproduction from article.
Native to the wild, these mosquitoes can be found from Central America to the Midwest of Brazil. They reproduce in small accumulations of water in palm trees, such as the buriti and açaí, as well as other forest plants. Adult females may bite humans to feed on blood.
The work, published in scientific journal Zootaxa, was conducted by the team from the Laboratory of Mosquitoes Transmitting Hematozoa of IOC, coordinated by researchers Ricardo Lourenço de Oliveira and Monique Albuquerque Motta, and included collaboration from specialists from the University of São Paulo (USP), the Pasteur Institute of French Guiana, and Harvard University.
"This description is essential for cataloging the rich biodiversity of our continent and ensuring that science has precise names for each living being, facilitating future studies on health and the environment," commented Ricardo Lourenço.
The description of the new group is the result of meticulous work that required the examination of specimens preserved in three important international museums: the Leiden Museum of Natural History (Netherlands), the Smithsonian (United States), and the National Museum of Natural History (France).
In addition to museum records, the study used collections made by researchers from the Laboratory of Mosquitoes Transmitting Hematozoa since the 1980s. During that period, the team worked on the front lines of research on malaria epidemics affecting the state of Rondônia.
* Article 'Systematics of Leonidasdeanea, a new subgenus of Wyeomyia (Diptera: Culicidae), with recognition of Wy. luciae as a valid species and synonymy of Wy. surinamensis with Wy. flows' - https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5782.1.1
Image of the head of the Wyeomyia flui species. Photo: reproduction from article.
An international team of researchers, led by experts from the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz), described a new subgenre of Culicidae, popularly known as mosquitoes.
Named Leonidasdeanea, in honor of the celebrated entomologist Leonidas Deane, the subgenus came to include three "sister species": Wyeomyia luciae, Wyeomyia chalcocephala e Wyeomyia flui.
The new group represents a reorganization in the family tree of these insects. This conclusion was made possible thanks to the use of modern DNA analysis technologies and detailed observation of the mosquitoes' physical appearance during the different stages of their life cycle.
Among the highlights of the reorganization is the revalidation of the species. Wy. luciae, which since the 1950s was incorrectly considered to be the same mosquito as the Wy. Chalcocephala.
Furthermore, the study also determined that the species Wy. surinamensis is, in fact, a synonym for Wy. flows, ending a decades-long identity confusion.
Scientists analyzed the morphological characteristics of the insects in detail. Photo: reproduction from article.
Native to the wild, these mosquitoes can be found from Central America to the Midwest of Brazil. They reproduce in small accumulations of water in palm trees, such as the buriti and açaí, as well as other forest plants. Adult females may bite humans to feed on blood.
The work, published in scientific journal Zootaxa, was conducted by the team from the Laboratory of Mosquitoes Transmitting Hematozoa of IOC, coordinated by researchers Ricardo Lourenço de Oliveira and Monique Albuquerque Motta, and included collaboration from specialists from the University of São Paulo (USP), the Pasteur Institute of French Guiana, and Harvard University.
"This description is essential for cataloging the rich biodiversity of our continent and ensuring that science has precise names for each living being, facilitating future studies on health and the environment," commented Ricardo Lourenço.
The description of the new group is the result of meticulous work that required the examination of specimens preserved in three important international museums: the Leiden Museum of Natural History (Netherlands), the Smithsonian (United States), and the National Museum of Natural History (France).
In addition to museum records, the study used collections made by researchers from the Laboratory of Mosquitoes Transmitting Hematozoa since the 1980s. During that period, the team worked on the front lines of research on malaria epidemics affecting the state of Rondônia.
* Article 'Systematics of Leonidasdeanea, a new subgenus of Wyeomyia (Diptera: Culicidae), with recognition of Wy. luciae as a valid species and synonymy of Wy. surinamensis with Wy. flows' - https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5782.1.1
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