Simulium (Simulium) kiritshenkoi Rubtsov, 1940; as a species-complex in the Aras river basin

Background: Black flies (Dip: Simuliidae) are famous for their medical, veterinary and environmental significance. They are active in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Females of 10–20% of species are bloodsucking/allergic pest of humans and domesticated animals. The immature stages of black flies are confined to flowing freshwater where they circulate organic materials by filter-feeding. The Khoda-Afarin County is a confluence of the Caspian, Caucasian and Mediterranean climates. The abundance of rivers and dams has altered the patterns of crops as well as aquatic insects such as black flies, which are highly dependent on running waters.Objectives: To collect black flies in the region and to study intraspecific genetic diversity of certain speciesMethods: Adult black flies were collected in day time using standard insect collecting net from eleven villages of the Central and Garmadooz parts of Khoda-Afarin County from May to October 2016-2018. Morphological identification of specimens was performed with valid keys up to species level. The genetic structure of typical specimens was evaluated using molecular tools.Results: Of the 1747 collected black flies, twelve specimens were identified as Simulium (Simulium) kiritshenkoi. The species was collected from human and animal outdoors as well as farmlands of six villages of Deym, Goongormaz, Hasanlou, Larijan, Mohammad-Salehloo and Qarloujeh. Analysis of ~740 bp of COI sequences among nine individuals revealed high intraspecific genetic diversity respectively with 97 and 3 synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions. Phylogenetic analysis showed the existence of two distinct clades within the haplotypes of S. kiritshenkoi, both with good support.Conclusion: Simulium (Simulium) kiritshenkoi is a member of the S. ornatum species-group, which was first reported from Shahrud city, Semnan Province, Iran and offers some of the most difficult taxonomic problems among Palearctic simuliids. The existence of this species were confirmed from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Iraq, Pakistan, Romania, Russia (Caucasus), Tajikistan, Turkey and Ukraine. Against the results of other studies that have identified S. kiritshenkoi as a group of black flies with minimal genetic diversity, herein we report not only the high genetic diversity, but also we nominated it as a species complex for the first time.

کلیدواژه ها:

Simulidae ، Simulium ornatum group ، Cryptic species ، Iran.