Short Communication (Open access)

Int. J. Life. Sci. Scienti. Res., 4(5): 1983-1985, September 2018

 

First Report on Adedes albopictus Subgroup Species in India- Short Communication

 

Juvin Jose*

 

Neelankavil House, Kolangattukkara, Choolissery (PO), Thrissur-680 541, Kerala, India

 

*Address for Correspondence: *Juvin Jose, Research Scholar, Neelankavil (H), Kolangattukkara, Choolissery PO, Thrissur-680541, Kerala, India

 

ABSTRACT- Adedes albopictus is most advanced stable species trophic level. It is acquired by after great nurture microevolution includes behavioral changes and survivality. In this evolutionary cascade, Ae. albopictus species diverged from its complex species lineage (reported in Kerala Ae. novalbopictus, Ae. pseudalbopictus and Ae. subalbopictus). Without any vestigial the species is pivotal in all the advanced measures include competition, adaptations, reproduction, and intelligence.

Keywords: Adedes albopictus, Subgroup, Microevolution, Evolutionary cascade, Taxonomic study

 

INTRODUCTION- In Kerala taxonomic studies of mosquitoes started in 20th century by British pioneers with robust vector surveillance [1]. Ae. albopictus is common vector in epidemics of Kerala. It is highly tolerant against adverse conditions and competitive with co-inhabitants since it was reported. The sylavtic mosquito highly dynamic in their habitats preference and they incubate any sort of water filled sources, they feed on vast range of mammal hosts [2]. Likewise albopictus highly potential vector to carrying viral pathogens [3]. In rural/urban regions of Kerala Ae. albopictus is principle vector of Dengue/Chikungunya [4]. In 2006 70,731 Chikungunya suspected cases reported from 3 coastal districts of Kerala [5].


In public health sector major percentage of health burden is from Ae. albopictus transmitted disease. Due to their rapid global expansion of territory they sow high toll disease burdens in public health [6]. Recent arose of ZIKA is best example for this. In India it is reported in Gujarat, on 2017 May 26 WHO confirmed the cases [7]. Control measures (Insecticide) also challenging and lacking due to resistance [8]. The invasive species definitely a combatant vector [9].

In Kerala most of the areas dominated by Ae. albopictus. In some areas albopictus immature seen with Ae. aegypti or albopictus complex immatures. In other areas, there is no trace of Ae. aegypti in human prevalence. It shows co-inhabitant species exclusion and domination of Ae. albopictus.

Ae. albopictus is one of the subspecies of the albopictus subgroup complex. It has 8 subspecies in oriental region [10]. They are very similar in their appearance and they are rare in occurrence except Ae. albopictus. Their bionomic and ecology are also not well understood. So here I would like share some facts and hypothesis about the albopictus subspecies. It is helpful to the subspecies future perspectives.


Fig. 1: Distribution and transition of Albopictus subspecies

Keys of four albopictus subspecies known to occur in India [Adopted from: The Subgenus Stegomyia of Aedes in The Oriental Region with Keys to the Species (Diptera: Culicidae) by Yiau-Min Huang].

a)      Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus Skuse, 1895

  1. Scutum with long longitudinal white stripe of narrow scales extending from anterior margin to about level of wing root.
  2. Supraalar white line in complete
  3. Scutum with patch of broad flat white scales on lateral margin just before the level of wing root.

b)     Aedes (Stegomyia) novalbopictus Barraud, 1931

  1. Scutum with long longitudinal white stripe of narrow scales extending from anterior margin to about level of wing root.
  2. Supraalar white line in complete, not clearly defined and with only narrow scales over wing root.
  3. Scutum with patch of narrow curved yellowish scales on lateral margin just before level of wing root.
  4. Fore and midfemora with some pale scales scattered on anterior surface.

c)      Aedes (Stegomyia) pseudalbopictus (Borel, 1928)

  1. Scutum with long longitudinal white stripe of narrow scales extending from anterior margin to about level of wing root.
  2. Supraalar white line in complete, not clearly defined and with only narrow scales over wing root.
  3. Scutum with patch of narrow curved white scales on lateral margin just before level of wing root.
  4. Scutum with patch of broad dark scales on each side of prescutellar space between prescutellar white line and post dorsocentral white line.
  5. Postspiracular area with scales.

 

d)     Aedes (Stegomyia) sub Albopictus Barraud, 1931

  1. Scutum with long longitudinal white stripe of narrow scales extending from anterior margin to about level of wing root.
  2. Supraalar white line in complete, not clearly defined and with only narrow scales over wing root.
  3. Scutum with patch of narrow curved white scales on lateral margin just before level of wing root.
  4. Scutum without broad dark scales on each side of prescutellar space.

 

Scope of Albopictus subspecies study

Virus isolation in Albopictus subspecies- Albopictus subspecies also carry the virus of Dengue/ Chikungunya and persist in nature via trans-ovarial transmission or reserve hosts of forest fringes. The subspecies are endemic in certain natural habitat. They bite human host in their prevalence. This is the cause of randomly reported Dengue/Chikungunya cases from forest areas. If we get a virus isolation positive pool we can prove carriage of Dengue/ Chikungunya virus among subgroup.

 

Microevolution of Albopictus subspecies- Ae. albopictus is the most successive, recent, and stable species of the evolutionary strip of albopictus subspecies. Other racks of the micro-evolutionary strip we can find, if amplify and sequence other albopictus subspecies Cytochrome oxidase fragment.

 

CONCLUSIONS- The subgroup species of Oriental region viz Ae. albopictus (Skuse), Ae. downsi Bohart and Ingram, Ae. novalbopictus Barraud, Ae. patriciae Mattingly, Ae. pseudulbopictus (Borel), Ae. seatoi Huang, Ae. subalbopictus Barraud and Ae. unilineatus (Theobald). The taxonomically different species have their own ecology and bionomics. In each geographical region the number of subspecies reported might be different. The very similar species product of a microevolution has its own adaptation and survivality. The identical species generated from most conserved ancestral species level. Survivality make an ancestral species unstable then it put forth evolution to a stable species trophic level. The stable species trophic level has high adaptability and survivality. After the stable species level it infiltrate into more behavioral changes for their adaptation. In Albopictus subgroup Ae. albopictus is the most stable tropic level with high tolerance. About this dominant species we have plenty of information’s. Other sub-species information’s are very limited. Their rare occurrence in environment is the main hurdle of studies about the Albopictus subspecies. The sylavatic mosquito species prefer only natural habitats for their inhabitation (mainly tree holes) except Ae. albopictus (At once Ae. albopictus conserved in natural habitat only. Adaptability change the species more dynamic both artificial and natural habitats). They are capable of transmitting viruses. There are four subspecies reported in Kerala. They are Ae. albopictus, Ae. novalbopictus, Ae. pseudalbopictus and Ae. subalbopictus. Further any detailed distribution or data not available about these subspecies so the taxonomic combing study for albopictus subgroup is essential for their necessities findings.

 

REFERENCES

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