Diversity of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Caatinga Biome, Brazil, from the Widespread to the Endemic.

David Campos Andrade,Renata Antonaci Gama,Roseli La Corte,Helene Mariko Ueno,Letícia Silva Marteis,Sirlei Antunes Morais,Belgrano Santiago Rekowski,Renato Cesar De Melo Freire

doi:10.3390/insects11080468

Abstract

Mosquito fauna in the northeast semiarid region of Brazil, Caatinga biome, are poorly known. Studies on the diversity are scarce and the few surveys available focus on local fauna. In order to understand the ecological pattern of mosquito’s distribution, information available from studies from 2008 to 2015 were gathered. A partitioning framework of the beta diversity, the turnover (βJTU) and nestedness (βJNE) components were used to determine dissimilarity among communities. Eighty-two morphospecies were recorded and 47 of the species were not shared between the areas. The most representative genera were Aedes, Anopheles, Psorophora, Haemagogus, Coquillettidia, and Mansonia, which all include species of medical interest. The communities had high rates of variation, and the mechanism of turnover accounted for the observed diversity pattern. Despite differences in collection methods, the observed dissimilarity may be related to the broad environmental heterogeneity of the biome, the intrinsic relationships of the species with their habitats, and the environmental degradation caused by different types of anthropogenic interference. Considering the mosquito species richness and endemicity, the hypothesis that the Caatinga harbor poor biodiversity is rejected. The spatial variation observed is of particular importance and should be taken into account for the knowledge of Caatinga biodiversity.

Highlights

The Caatinga biome is characterized by dry deciduous forests in different successional stages under high water deficits [1]
We report new data on DNA barcoding of seventeen species or morphotypes, that were performed in the context of “Mosquitos da Caatinga” project in an attempt to solve taxonomic issues
From the data sets analyzed, 82 taxa in 14 genera were listed for mosquitoes of the Caatinga biome, 65 were valid species and 17 morphotypes, 12 of which are likely novel undescribed species (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

The Caatinga biome is characterized by dry deciduous forests in different successional stages under high water deficits [1]. The semiarid climate and scarcity of water are related to a zone of interplanaltic depressions that prevent the movement of humid air masses. Another factor affecting climate is region’s geographical position in the global equatorial zone [3]. The fauna and flora are well adapted to the adverse conditions that characterize the Caatinga biome such as low rainfall throughout the year and high solar radiation [4]. The Caatinga suffers from different environmental threats that change or eliminate habitats

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