Is There a Minimum Number of Landmarks That Optimizes the Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Mosquito (Diptera, Culicidae) Wings?

Culicids are the most significant arthropods affecting human health. Thus, their correct identification is critical. The use of Geometric Morphometrics (GM) has been recently incorporated into mosquito taxonomy and has begun to complement classic diagnostic techniques.

Genome-Wide Screening of Aedes aegypti (Culicidae: Diptera) Populations From Northwestern Argentina: Active and Passive Dispersal Shape Genetic Structure.

Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of arboviruses of great impact on human health. Our goal was to assess the spatial genetic structure of Ae. aegypti at the regional and local levels in Northwestern Argentina, an area with high prevalence of dengue fever.

Morphometric Variation of the Aedes albifasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) Wings in Three Populations From Different Ecoregions of Argentina.

Shape variability among individuals is important to understand some ecological relationships, since it provides the nexus between the genotype and the environment. Geometric morphometrics based on generalized procrustes analysis was applied on 17 landmarks of the wings of Aedes albifasciatus (Macquart 1838) (Diptera: Culicidae) females collected from three ecoregions of Argentina (Delta and islands of the Paraná River, Pampa, and Patagonian steppe). This methodology was used to discriminate the shapes of individuals belonging to different regions.

Wing morphometrics of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) albifasciatus (Macquart, 1838) (Diptera: Culicidae) from different climatic regions of Argentina.

Background: Gene flow restrictions between populations of Aedes albifasciatus, the vector of Western equine encephalitis and Dirophilaria immitis, have been described in the central region of Argentina. Genetic and eco-physiological variations usually result in local forms reflecting the climatic regions. Mosquito wings and their different parts have ecological functions in flight and communication.