Species Diversity, Habitat Distribution, and Blood Meal Analysis of Haematophagous Dipterans Collected by CDC-UV Light Traps in the Dominican Republic

• DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11070714
• Publication Date: 2022-06-22T08:12:01Z
• Authors: Mikel Alexander G...; Daniel Bravo-Barriga; María Altagracia ...; Juan Rueda; Eva Frontera; Pedro María Alarc...
• Keywords: Blood meal; Culicoides; Ceratopogonidae; DNA Barcoding; Culex pipiens

Haematophagous insects cause major economic losses by both direct damage and the transmission of pathogens. However, biting Diptera species in Caribbean region have been poorly documented. During 2021, CDC downdraft suction traps with UV light were employed to assess occurrence blood meal sources across three different habitats Dominican Republic. Eighteen mosquitoes (n = 274), six Culicoides 803), two black fly 2), one muscid 25) identified at species-level morphology and/or molecular phylogenetic approaches based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI). Engorged mosquito 5) 28) females showed host preferences derived exclusively from mammals (cows pigs), except Culex containing chickens. Our study provides new records catalogue (Culex salinarius for Greater Antilles, jamaicensis Hispaniola, haitiensis borinqueni Republic), first available COI DNA sequences GenBank, some pictures diagnostic features closely related specimens, spatial distribution studied, insights their feeding region.