Geometric morphometric wing analysis as a tool to discriminate female mosquitoes from different suburban areas of Chiang Mai province, Thailand

Danita Champakaew; Anuluck Junkum; Narin Sontigun; Sangob Sanit; Kwankamol Limsopatham; Atiporn Saeung; Pradya Somboon; Benjawan Pitasawat

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0260333

Geometric morphometric wing analysis as a tool to discriminate female mosquitoes from different suburban areas of Chiang Mai province, Thailand

PLoS One. 2021 Nov 29;16(11):e0260333. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260333. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Danita Champakaew¹, Anuluck Junkum², Narin Sontigun³, Sangob Sanit², Kwankamol Limsopatham², Atiporn Saeung², Pradya Somboon², Benjawan Pitasawat²

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand and Excellent Center for Dengue and Community Public Health (EC for DACH), Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand.
² Department of Parasitology, Center of Insect Vector Study, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
³ Akkhraratchakumari Veterinary College, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand.

Abstract

Mosquitoes are hematophagous insects that transmit parasites and pathogens with devastating effects on humans, particularly in subtropical regions. Different mosquito species display various behaviors, breeding sites, and geographic distribution; however, they can be difficult to distinguish in the field due to morphological similarities between species and damage caused during trapping and transportation. Vector control methods for controlling mosquito-borne disease epidemics require an understanding of which vector species are present in the area as well as the epidemiological patterns of disease transmission. Although molecular techniques can accurately distinguish between mosquito species, they are costly and laborious, making them unsuitable for extensive use in the field. Thus, alternative techniques are required. Geometric morphometrics (GM) is a rapid and inexpensive technique that can be used to analyze the size, shape, and shape variation of individuals based on a range of traits. Here, we used GM to analyze the wings of 1,040 female mosquitoes from 12 different species in Thailand. The right wing of each specimen was removed, imaged microscopically, and digitized using 17 landmarks. Wing shape variation among genera and species was analyzed using canonical variate analysis (CVA), while discriminant function analysis was used to cross-validate classification reliability based on Mahalanobis distances. Phenetic relationships were constructed to illustrate the discrimination patterns for genera and species. CVA of the morphological variation among Aedes, Anopheles, Armigeres, Culex, and Mansonia mosquito genera revealed five clusters. In particular, we demonstrated a high percentage of correctly-distinguished samples among Aedes (97.48%), Armigeres (96.15%), Culex (90.07%), and Mansonia (91.67%), but not Anopheles (64.54%). Together, these findings suggest that wing landmark-based GM analysis is an efficient method for identifying mosquito species, particularly among the Aedes, Armigeres, Culex, and Mansonia genera.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Culicidae / anatomy & histology*
Culicidae / classification
Female
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Mosquito Vectors / anatomy & histology*
Mosquito Vectors / classification
Software
Thailand
Wings, Animal / anatomy & histology*

Grants and funding

This research was supported financially by the Walailak University Research Fund (WU grant: WU-IRG-63-023), Thailand and the Faculty of Medicine (Grant no. PAR-2563–07268) and the Office of Research Administration, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.