Medical and Veterinary Entomology (2007) 21, 270-277
O. Hamarsheh, W. Presber, Z. Abdeen, S. Sawalha, A. Al-Lahem and G. Schönian (2007)
Genetic structure of Mediterranean populations of the sandfly Phlebotomus papatasi by mitochondrial cytochrome b haplotype analysis
Medical and Veterinary Entomology 21 (3), 270-277
Abstract: Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli) (Diptera: Psychodidae) is the main vector of Leishmania major Yakimoff and Schokhor; which is the cause of self-limiting cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Old World. This sandfly is found in houses, animal shelters, caves and rodent burrows. It has a large geographical range, which includes the Middle East and the Mediterranean regions. A population analysis of colony and field specimens of P. papatasi was conducted on 25 populations originating from 10 countries. The distribution of haplotypes of the maternally inherited mitochondrial cytochrome b gene were analysed to assess the population differentiation of P. papatasi. Alignment of a 442-basepair region at the 3' end of the gene identified 21 haplotypes and 33 segregating sites from 131 sandflies. The pattern of sequence variations did not support the existence of a species complex. The median-joining network method was used to describe both the origin of the haplotypes and the population structure; haplotypes tended to cluster by geographical location, suggesting some level of genetic differentiation between populations. Our findings indicate the presence of significant population differentiation for populations derived from Syria, Turkey, Palestine, Israel, Jordan and Egypt. Knowledge of population differentiation among P. papatasi populations is important for understanding patterns of dispersal in this species and for planning appropriate control measures.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Omar Hamarsheh, Ziad A. Abdeen
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
molecular biology - genes
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phlebotomus papatasi | Turkey | |||
| Phlebotomus papatasi | Egypt | |||
| Phlebotomus papatasi | Israel | |||
| Phlebotomus papatasi | Jordan | |||
| Phlebotomus papatasi | Syria | |||
| Phlebotomus papatasi |
