Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026
Mosquito-Associated Virus Isolation from Field-Collected Mosquitoes
Published on: August 31, 2022
Molecular characterization of cryptic species of Anopheles barbirostris van der Wulp in China
Yan Wang1, Jiannong Xu2,3, Yajun Ma4,5
1Department of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Rd, Shanghai, 200433, China. wang1yu2yan@126.com.
Background:
Anopheles barbirostris sensu lato belongs to the Barbirostris subgroup of the subgenus Anopheles that is distributed in Southeast Asia. Different molecular forms have been identified based on the rDNA-ITS2 and mtDNA-COI sequences. Anopheles barbirostris occurs in China. The species status was uncertain due to the lack of molecular characterization. The present study characterized Chinese An. barbirostris using rDNA-ITS2 and mtDNA-COI gene sequences. Two cryptic species were identified.
Findings:
DNA was extracted from morphologically identified An. barbirostris specimens collected in Yunnan and Hainan from China, the sequences of rDNA-ITS2 and mtDNA-COI regions of 40 individuals were amplified and analyzed. The sequence comparison revealed two cryptic species, corresponding to An. barbirostris A1/clade III and A2/clade IV, respectively. The molecular characterization updated the species composition of the An. barbirostris complex in China.
Conclusions:
This study distinguished two molecular forms in the An. barbirostris s. l. in China.
