Molecular characterization of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in northwestern Iran by using rDNA-ITS2

Several mosquito species are vectors of disease; however, to understand their role in disease
transmission, accurate species identification is of particular importance. Morphological identification
is the main method used, but molecular techniques have emerged as a tool for the identification of
closely related species. In this study, mosquitoes from the West Azerbaijan Province in northwestern
Iran were characterized on the basis of their rDNA-ITS2 sequences. Nine populations of 6 species of
mosquitoes belonging to the genera Anopheles, Culex, Culiseta, and Ochlerotatus were studied. To the
best of our knowledge, ITS2 sequences of Culiseta longiareolata and Culex hortensis have been reported
for the first time. In addition, ITS2 sequences of Culex theileri and Ochlerotatus caspius have been reported
for the first time in Iran. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS2 showed that subfamilies Anophelinae
and Culicinae of the family Culicidae could be differentiated successfully and subgenera Anopheles
and Cellia of the genus Anopheles were separated. The analysis showed that the genera Culex, Culiseta,
and Ochlerotatus have diverged separately