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New evidence for the potential role of C ulex pipiens mosquitoes in the transmission cycle of W est N ile virus in T unisia
Author(s) -
KRIDA G.,
RHIM A.,
DAABOUB J.,
FAILLOUX A.B.,
BOUATTOUR A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
medical and veterinary entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2915
pISSN - 0269-283X
DOI - 10.1111/mve.12107
Subject(s) - biology , culex pipiens , hybrid , zoology , ecology , larva , botany
Physiological and molecular characteristics of natural populations of Culex pipiens L innaeus, 1758 ( D iptera: C ulicidae) were investigated to elucidate how this species is potentially involved in the transmission of W est N ile virus in T unisia. A total of 215 Cx. pipiens females from 11 breeding habitats were analysed in the laboratory to estimate autogeny and stenogamy rates. They were tested individually for the locus CQ11 to distinguish between the two Cx. pipiens forms, pipiens and molestus . All tested Cx. pipiens populations were stenogamous. Females from underground breeding sites were all autogeneous, whereas females from above‐ground habitats were mostly anautogeneous. Of all the females tested, 59.7% were identified as pipiens , 22.4% as molestus , and 17.9% as hybrid pipiens / molestus . Furthermore, both Cx. pipiens forms and their hybrids were found to co‐occur in sympatry in all sites. The results of this study represent the first evidence that both Cx. pipiens forms and their hybrids are present in T unisia. Because hybrids able to act as bridge vectors are present in all studied habitats, T unisia can be considered to have a high degree of receptivity for the establishment of W est N ile virus zoonotic cycles.