Abstract
Two snapshot surveys to establish the diversity and ecological preferences of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the terra firme primary rain forest surrounding the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the UNESCO Yasuní Biosphere Reserve of eastern Amazonian Ecuador were carried out in November 1998 and May 1999. The mosquito fauna of this region is poorly known; the focus of this study was to obtain high quality link-reared specimens that could be used to unequivocally confirm species level diversity through integrated systematic study of all life stages and DNA sequences. A total of 2,284 specimens were preserved; 1,671 specimens were link-reared with associated immature exuviae, all but 108 of which are slide mounted. This study identified 68 unique taxa belonging to 17 genera and 27 subgenera. Of these, 12 are new to science and 37 comprise new country records. DNA barcodes [658-bp of the mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase ( COI ) I gene] are presented for 58 individuals representing 20 species and nine genera. DNA barcoding proved useful in uncovering and confirming new species and we advocate an integrated systematics approach to biodiversity studies in future. Associated bionomics of all species collected are discussed. An updated systematic checklist of the mosquitoes of Ecuador (n = 179) is presented for the first time in 60 years.
Highlights
The Yasuní Biosphere Reserve and National Park cover an area of 9,823 km2 between the Napo and Curaray rivers in the Napo, Pastaza and Orellano provinces of northeastern Ecuador (00o10’ 01o45’S, 75o20’ 77o00’W)
Very little information is known on the species diversity or ecological parameters of the Culicidae of the Ecuadorian Amazon (Leví-Castillo 1953, Heinemann & Belkin 1979)
This study focuses on documenting the sylvan mosquito diversity and ecological parameters for species collected in the forest environs surrounding the Tiputini Biological Station (TBS), through collections of immature stages and adult mosquitoes in November 1998 and May-June 1999
Summary
Specimen collection - Mosquito collections were carried out in a range of natural and artificial habitats in the forest environment within a 10 km circumference of the TBS, Yasuní Biosphere Reserve and National Park, Orellana province, Ecuador (Fig. S1). The multi-entry webbased keys developed by the WRBU for South America (wrbu.si.edu/southcom_MQkeys.html) were used to determine generic level identifications and species level identification for some better-known taxa. These multientry keys facilitate identification of damaged specimens by the ability to skip questions directed at missing or damaged body parts. Voucher specimens - Details of voucher specimens stored in the Culicid and frozen collections of the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), including associated exuviae, genitalia preps and DNA, are explicitly listed by species in Supplementary data 3. Details of specimens used for DNA, along with COI barcode sequences and the original chromatograms can be accessed through the BOLD (boldsystems.org) under the project Mosquitoes of the Ecuadorian Amazon. The DNA barcode sequences of some Anopheles (Ker.) lepidotus from this collection were published previously (Harrison et al 2012) (JQ041282-JQ041286)
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