Identification of Three Distinct Groups of Anopheles lindesayi in Japan by Morphological and Genetic Analyses.

Anopheles (Anopheles) lindesayi Giles consists of 5 subspecies. In Japan, only one subspecies, An. l. japonicus Yamada, has been reported. Its geographical populations are morphologically diverse; however, they are regarded as a single subspecies. In this study, we re-evaluated the taxonomic status of An. l. japonicus in Japan, and that of another subspecies, An. l. pleccau, distributed in Taiwan, by comparative morphological and molecular analyses based on the gene sequences of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2). Nucleotide sequence divergence was calculated using the Kimura-two-parameter (K2P) distance model. Phylogenetic trees based on COI and ITS2 sequences showed 3 distinct clades: Eastern Japan, Western Japan, and the Ryukyus. The sequences of the Ryukyu specimens were located within the same clade as that of the sequences of the Taiwanese specimens. Regarding the COI sequences, the 3 geographical groups in Japan were genetically distinct. The following morphological characteristics distinguished the groups: larval seta 1-S, pupal setae 5 through segments IV-VII, and pupal setae 6 on segments IV-VII. Based on these results, it was revealed that An. l. japonicus included 3 genetically and morphologically distinct groups: 2 groups of An. l. japonicus and a group in the Ryukyus, which was a synonym of An. l. pleccau.

Mosquito biosurveillance on Kyushu Island, Japan, with emphasis on Anopheles Hyrcanus Group and related species (Diptera: culicidae).

This report includes the distribution records of the Anopheles (Anopheles) Hyrcanus Group and associated species in Kyushu Island, Japan, based on our field collections from various localities of 4 prefectures (Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Saga), primarily from 2002-2013. The status of common and potential mosquito vectors, particularly Anopheles species, in Japan are noted.

Mosquito biodiversity patterns around urban environments in South-central okinawa island, Japan.

Okinawa is the largest, most urbanized, and densely populated island in the Ryukyus Archipelago, where mosquito species diversity has been thoroughly studied. However, the south-central Okinawa mosquito fauna has been relatively poorly studied. Here, we present results from a mosquito faunal survey in urban environments of Nishihara city, south-central Okinawa. Mosquitoes were sampled biweekly, from April 2007 to March 2008, at 3 different environments: a forest preserve, an animal farm, and a water reservoir. We employed 4 mosquito collection methods: 1) oviposition traps; 2) light traps; 3) sweep nets; and 4) larval surveys of tree holes, leaf axils, and artificial water containers. We collected a total of 568 adults and 10,270 larvae belonging to 6 genera and 13 species, including 6 species of medical importance: Aedes albopictus, Armigeres subalbatus, Anopheles Hyrcanus group, Culex bitaeniorhynchus, Cx. quinquefasciatus, and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus. Mosquito species composition was similar to data from previous studies in Okinawa Island. The flattening of the species accumulation curve suggests that our diversity sampling was exhaustive with light and oviposition traps, as well as the coincidence between the species richness we found in the field and estimates from the Chao2 index, a theoretical estimator of species richness based on species abundance. This study highlights the importance of combining several sampling techniques to properly characterize regional mosquito fauna and to monitor changes in the presence of mosquito species.