Parasitology Research (1999) 85, 837-843

Jana Proft, Walter A. Maier and Helge Kampen (1999)
Identification of six sibling species of the Anopheles maculipennis complex (Diptera: Culicidae) by a polymerase chain reaction assay
Parasitology Research 85 (10), 837-843
Abstract: Until the eradication of malaria from Europe, members of the Anopheles maculipennis complex had been the major vectors for plasmodial parasites. With the possible reintroduction of Plasmodium species due to climate change and increased travel to and from countries where malaria is endemic, accurate identification of mosquito species will be essential for preventive studies. For this purpose, a diagnostic PCR system to differentiate between six of the seven A. maculipennis sibling species occurring in Europe was developed. The second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of the ribosomal DNA was amplified and sequenced for all six species. Based on differences in the nucleotide sequences, species-specific primers were constructed for PCR amplification of mosquito DNA that in combination with a universal primer generate amplification products of different length, each unique for one species.
(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): Helge Kampen

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
identification/taxonomy
surveys/sampling/distribution

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Anopheles maculipennis