Wing shape of dengue vectors from around the world

Wing shape is increasingly utilized in species identification and characterization. For dengue vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, it could be used as a complement for ensuring accurate diagnostic of damaged specimens. However, the impact of world migration on wing shape is unknown. Has the spread of these invasive species increased shape variation to the extent of producing interspecific overlapping? To answer this question, the geometric patterns of wing venation in Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were compared between natural populations from the Pacific Islands, North and South America and South East Asia. The geometry of 178 female and 174 male wings were described at 13 anatomical landmarks, and processed according to Procrustes superposition, partial warps and subsequent multivariate analyzes. The variation of shape did not produce significant interspecific overlapping. Regardless of geographic origin, Ae. aegypti was recognized as Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus as Ae. albopictus. Some significant geographic differentiation was observed in Colombia for Ae. aegypti and in Thailand for Ae. albopictus. Globally, the morphology of these mosquitoes, for both size and shape, appeared well preserved. Strong canalizing mechanisms could account for the observed patterns of relatively uniform morphology, which could also be attributed to sporadic, recurrent mixing of populations, thwarting phenotypic drift.