Journal of Medical Entomology (2006) 43, 443-454

John J. Shepard, Theodore G. Andreadis and Charles R. Vossbrinck (2006)
Molecular phylogeny and evolutionary relationships among mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from the northeastern United States based on small subunit ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA) sequences
Journal of Medical Entomology 43 (3), 443-454
Abstract: The phylogenetic relationships of Culicidae native to the northeastern United States were investigated by analyzing small subunit ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA) sequences obtained from 39 species representing nine genera. Molecular phylogenies were consistent with traditional classifications based on morphological characters except for the placements of Psorophora Robineau-Desvoidy and Uranotaenia Lynch Arribalzaga. In our analyses, 1) Anopheles Meigen was strongly supported as the sister taxon to the remaining Culicidae; 2) Toxorhynchites Theobald was represented as a distinct monophyletic sister group to the Culicinae; 3) Psorophora formed a basal clade to Culiseta Felt, Coquillettidia Dyar, and Culex L. but also was shown as a sister taxon to Aedes Meigen and Ochlerotatus Lynch Arribalzaga; 4) Coquillettidia perturbans (Walker) seems to be a sister group to Culiseta; 5) placement of Uranotaenia was inconclusive and seemed to be either a sister group to the Aedes and Ochlerotatus or a basal taxon to all other culicines; and 6) Aedes and Ochlerotatus formed two separate and distinct clades, providing phylogenetic data consistent with the recent elevation of Ochlerotatus to the generic level as proposed by Reinert (2000). The utility of 18S rDNA for evaluating phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships among mosquito taxa was demonstrated at the genus and species levels. To our knowledge, this study represents the first molecular-based phylogenetic study of mosquito species occurring within this geographic region of North America and contains the largest number of species that have been examined among the genera Aedes and Ochlerotatus.
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Full text of article
Database assignments for author(s): Theodore G. Andreadis, Charles R. Vossbrinck

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
molecular biology - genes
identification/taxonomy
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Uranotaenia sapphirina		U.S.A. (NE)
	Culex quinquefasciatus
	Culex tritaeniorhynchus
	Culex pipiens		U.S.A. (NE)
	Culex salinarius		U.S.A. (NE)
	Culiseta melanura
	Anopheles quadrimaculatus
	Anopheles punctipennis		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes canadensis		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes vexans		U.S.A. (NE)
	Coquillettidia perturbans		U.S.A. (NE)
	Culex restuans		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes albopictus
	Aedes aegypti
	Aedes triseriatus		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes atropalpus		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes sollicitans		U.S.A. (NE)
	Culiseta morsitans		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes communis		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes punctor
	Culex territans		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes sticticus		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes cinereus		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes taeniorhynchus		U.S.A. (NE)
	Anopheles pseudopunctipennis
	Aedes japonicus		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes stimulans		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes trivittatus		U.S.A. (NE)
	Psorophora ciliata		U.S.A. (NE)
	Psorophora ferox		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes aurifer		U.S.A. (NE)
	Anopheles walkeri		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes excrucians		U.S.A. (NE)
	Aedes cantator		U.S.A. (NE)
Toxorhynchites rutilus (predator)			U.S.A. (NE)
Toxorhynchites amboinensis (predator)