Vector soup: high-throughput identification of Neotropical phlebotomine sand flies using metabarcoding

Area of Science:

• Entomology
• Molecular Biology
• Parasitology

Background:

• Phlebotomine sand flies are crucial vectors of leishmaniasis and other pathogens.
• Traditional sand fly identification methods are slow and require expert knowledge.
• Accurate sand fly identification is vital for understanding leishmaniasis epidemiology and control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the reliability of mitochondrial 16S rRNA DNA metabarcoding for identifying Neotropical sand flies.
• To develop a reference database for 40 sand fly species in French Guiana.
• To evaluate the efficiency of metabarcoding for analyzing sand fly diversity in bulk samples.

Main Methods:

• DNA metabarcoding targeting the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene.
• Construction of a reference database for 40 Neotropical sand fly species.
• Testing metabarcoding accuracy on known sand fly mixtures and field samples.

Main Results:

• The mitochondrial 16S rRNA metabarcode accurately identifies sand fly species in bulk samples.
• A reference database for 40 French Guiana sand fly species was successfully created.
• Metabarcoding proved efficient for analyzing sand fly diversity in field samples.

Conclusions:

• DNA metabarcoding using the 16S rRNA gene is a reliable tool for Neotropical sand fly identification.
• This high-throughput method enhances sand fly diversity assessment from pooled samples.
• The technique offers significant potential for vector surveillance and eco-epidemiological research on leishmaniasis.