Molecular techniques for the taxonomy of Aedes Meigen, 1818 (Culicidae: Aedini): A review of studies from 2010 to 2021

• Published in: Acta tropica 2022-12, Vol.236, p.106694-106694, Article 106694
• Main Authors: Soares, Iracy Maiany Nunes, Polonio, Julio Cesar, Zequi, João Antonio Cyrino, Golias, Halison Correia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: DNA barcode; eDNA; Integrative taxonomy; PCR multiplex; qPCR; Species identification
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106694

The original description of Aedes Meigen in 1818, written in Latin, was very brief and included a single species, Aedes cinereus. In the last two decades the genus Aedes (Meigen, 1818) has undergone several revisions and reclassifications, with the current proposal being described by Wilkerson in 2015. However, the available keys for morphological identification are still not sufficient to differentiate cryptic species, damaged species, or those with confusing taxonomy. The current study aims to identify and describe the main taxonomic proposals and molecular methodologies available for the identification of the genus Aedes published between the years 2010 and 2021. The main molecular techniques used to identify the genus in the last 10 years, are: Multiplex PCR, DNA barcoding, nuclear and mitochondrial markers, environmental DNA, and bacterial microbiome analysis. This review highlights that there are catalogued data for only a few species of the genus Aedes, being restricted to medically important taxa such as Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. The integrative taxonomy approach is a possibility to reconcile morphological and molecular data to improve species delimitation, contributing to future revisions of the genus. [Display omitted]