Integrated taxonomy of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) reveals unexpected diversity in the most arid ecosystem of Europe.

ABSTRACT: The family Simuliidae includes more than 2000 species of black flies worldwide. Their morphological uniformity creates difficulty for species identification, which limits our knowledge of their ecology and vectorial role. We investigated the systematics of black flies in a semi-arid area of the Iberian Peninsula, an ecologically harsh environment for these organisms. Sampling adult black flies in three different habitats (by means of CDC traps) and in avian nest boxes and collecting immature stages in high-salinity rills provided a representative sample of the component species. A combination of approaches, including morphological, chromosomal, and molecular (based on the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) genes) revealed five specie

SUBMITTER: Ruiz-Arrondo I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10637677 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature