Southern Yunnan Province Research Articles

Reciprocal regulation between rural settlement expansion and human-elephant conflict in China's wild elephant range

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) and its socioeconomic impacts are a pressing global issue. Accurately quantifying HWCs and their interaction with residential development is crucial for rural revitalization and biodiversity conservation efforts. This study investigates the interplay between rural residential expansion (RRE) with human-elephant conflict (HEC) in southern Yunnan Province using high-accuracy yearly land use/land cover data and Asian elephant accident data. A piecewise regression along with several metrics, including expansion intensity and rate of rural residential land, and residential density, were employed to analyze the spatial-temporal change characteristics of RRE. Then, a geographical detector and a bivariate spatial autocorrelation model were used to reveal the driving mechanisms of RRE, with particular emphasis on the spatial relations between RRE and HECs. The results indicate that HECs had a significant negative impact on RRE, exhibiting higher expansion intensity and rate of rural residential land in non-HEC areas than in HEC areas. High spatiotemporal consistency between accelerated RRE and intensified HECs occurred from 2010 onwards, which aligns with the year when the trend of settlement area expansion changed. RRE activities and ensuing land use conversions led to increased occurrences of HECs, which negatively affected the RRE. Compared to HECs, topography and locational factors exhibited a secondary effect on RRE activities. The findings underscore reciprocal feedback mechanisms between RRE and HECs and the elevated risk of adverse interactions between humans and elephants within the range of China's wild elephants, providing theoretical support for coordinating conservation initiatives for Asian elephants with rural revitalization in the border areas of Southwest China.

The response of agricultural drought to meteorological drought modulated by air temperature

Due to climate change, there is an increasing occurrence of combined extreme events. The interaction between agricultural drought and meteorological drought may be significantly influenced by the temperature conditions. However, the specific process and the extent of air temperature’s impact on the dynamic remain unknown. To this end, the present study develops a copula-based coupling model to integrate agricultural drought, meteorological drought, and temperature state. This model is designed to investigate how temperature affects the agricultural drought response to meteorological drought, and to determine the transition threshold of temperature state on agricultural drought responding to meteorological drought from inhibition to promotion under diverse drought conditions. Furthermore, the proposed model is used to explore the spatial distribution characteristics of sensitivity and temperature thresholds in summer over mainland China. Finally, the geographical detector model is employed to investigate the primary factors influencing the spatial distribution of sensitivity and temperature thresholds. Results indicated that: (1) high temperatures have intensified the response of agricultural drought to meteorological drought in over 88% of mainland China, while in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region of the Inland River basin, this response is mitigated by glacier meltwater resulting from high temperatures; (2) the thresholds are lower in the Southeast River basin, the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Pearl River basin, the southern Songliao River basin and the Haihe River basin, but higher in the Yellow River basin, the western Yangtze River basin, the southern Inland River basin and Yunnan Province; and (3) the land-atmosphere coupling is crucial in determining both sensitivity and threshold levels.

Impact of ecological migration village construction on vector mosquito and mosquito-borne disease in the southern Yunnan Province, China

To evaluate the influence of ecological migration village construction on mosquito vector populations and mosquito-borne diseases in southern Yunnan Province. Two vicinal villages in Mengla County, the southern part of Yunnan Province, a native village, and a newly built village, were selected as study sites. Malaria and Japanese Encephalitis vector mosquito population divergence between the two villages were studied. Malaria and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) cases in the two villages were also compared. Anopheles minimus was the dominant population in houses in the newly built village, and An. jeyporiensis dominated the native village. Accordingly, there were nine malaria cases in the new village compared with zero cases in the native village. Culex tritaeniorhynchus, the chief JE vector in the study area, displayed no difference between the two villages; however, there was a higher density of the local secondary JE vector (Cx. pseudovishnui) in the native village than in the new one. The JE cases in the villages corresponded to zero. From the vector-borne disease perspective, our results suggest that local community should pay more attention to malaria and An. minimus during the construction of an ecological migration village in the new Chinese Western Developing Plan (CWDP) in southern Yunnan Province.

Genome assembly provides insights into the genome evolution of Baccaurea ramiflora Lour.

Baccaurea ramiflora Lour., an evergreen tree of the Baccaurea genus of the Phyllanthaceae family, is primarily distributed in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and southern China, including southern Yunnan Province. It is a wild or semi-cultivated tree species with ornamental, edible, and medicinal value, exhibiting significant development potential. In this study, we present the whole-genome sequencing of B. ramiflora, employing a combination of PacBio SMRT and Illumina HiSeq 2500 sequencing techniques. The assembled genome size was 975.8 Mb, with a contig N50 of 509.33 kb and the longest contig measuring 7.74 Mb. The genome comprises approximately 73.47% highly repetitive sequences, of which 52.1% are long terminal repeat–retrotransposon sequences. A total of 29,172 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 25,980 (89.06%) have been annotated, Additionally, 3452 non-coding RNAs were identified. Comparative genomic analysis revealed a close relationship between B. ramiflora and the Euphorbiaceae family, with both being sister groups that diverged approximately 59.9 million years ago. During the evolutionary process, B. ramiflora exhibited positive selection in 278 candidate genes. Synonymous substitution rate and collinearity analysis demonstrated that B. ramiflora underwent a single ancient genome-wide triploidization event, without recent genome-wide duplication events. This high-quality B. ramiflora genome provides a valuable resource for basic research and tree improvement programs focusing on the Phyllanthaceae family.

Taxonomic relationship between Amolopsminutus Orlov & Ho, 2007 and A.ottorum Pham, Sung, Pham, Le, Zieger & Nguyen, 2019, with first record of A.minutus from China (Anura, Ranidae).

Based on the examination of specimens of Amolopsminutus Orlov & Ho, 2007 and A.ottorum Pham, Sung, Pham, Le, Zieger & Nguyen, 2019, we found that there is no significant morphological difference between them. Phylogenetic analysis also showed that A.minutus and A.ottorum belong to the same taxon. In addition, we discovered the distribution of A.minutus in China. In this study, we provide the first molecular data of Amolopsminutus and regard A.ottorum as a junior synonym of A.minutus. In addition, we report the first record of A.minutus from China, based on nine specimens collected from Guanyinshan Provincial Nature Reserve in southern Yunnan Province and present an updated diagnosis of this species, based on literature data and newly-collected specimens.

Globba praetermissa (Zingiberaceae), a new species of G. sect. Globba from Yunnan, China

China represents the northern distribution margin of the genus Globba, with only eight species recorded previously. However, the identity of some of the species remains problematic. Globba barthei was recorded as occurring in Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan provinces by some authors, although the name had been regarded as a synonym of G. marantina by others. Based on specimen examination and field study, we confirm that some of the specimens that were previously identified as G. barthei indeed belong to G. marantina, while others represent a new species, which is described here as G. praetermissa. We have confirmed that G. barthei is conspecific with G. marantina and the latter name should be adopted. Furthermore, this species is newly reported in Hainan province. Globba praetermissa, which is known from southern Yunnan Province, is most similar to G. purpurascens, a species distributed in northern Thailand and northern Laos, in having lax, pendent inflorescence, densely ciliate bracts and lateral staminodes being nearly equal in length to the lateral corolla lobes. However G. praetermissa differs by having green upper leaf sheaths, ovate or elliptic and larger laminae, ovate, pale green and larger bracts, pedicels fully enclosed by bracteoles, longer calyx, and six appendages including a smaller pair between the two larger pairs. Furthermore, no fruits of G. praetermissa were seen in herbarium specimens or in the field and according to previous studies, the species is probably triploid with 2n=48, while G. purpurascens is a diploid with 2n=36, which produce fruits. A tabulated comparison of G. praetermissa, G. marantina and G. purpurascens as well as color plates of the first two species are provided.

Living in the dry zone: Stable isotope insights into palaeodiet in ancient Myanmar

Southeast Asia is becoming a region of increasing interest in discussions of past migration, the origins of agriculture, and past impacts of human land-use change on environments. Myanmar, situated at a geographic and cultural crossroads between East, South and Mainland Southeast Asia, is potentially a critical region for exploring these themes. However, direct data relating to subsistence in the region has been lacking. Here, we apply stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis to tooth enamel from humans and associated fauna to examine the subsistence economy of two communities from Myanmar, Oakaie and Nyaung’gan, spanning the transitional period from the late Neolithic to the early Bronze Age (ca. 1300-700BC). Situated within the broader regional and local environmental context, our data demonstrate the δ13C values of the individuals from the communities of Oakaie and Nyaung’gan are significantly higher, and the δ18O values are significantly lower, than individuals from the other sites in Southeast Asia, however, neither are significantly different to the Chinese sites and they overlap broadly with individuals from Mayutian in Southern Yunnan Province. These findings provide a unique insight into the subsistence economy of the ancient inhabitants of the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar.

Culturable mycota on bats in central and southern Yunnan Province, China

Culturable mycota on bats in central and southern Yunnan Province, China

Climate change increases the suitable area and suitability degree of rubber tree powdery mildew in China

Rubber tree powdery mildew is one of the most important diseases restricting the development of the natural rubber industry and the improvement of economic efficiency of rubber production. Climate change has seriously influenced the distribution and transmission of rubber tree powdery mildew. However, the impacts of future climate change on the suitable area and suitability degree of rubber tree powdery mildew have been rarely investigated. Based on environmental and disaster data of rubber tree powdery mildew in the baseline (1970–2000) and future climate change scenarios (2021–2040, 2041–2060, 2061–2080, and 2081–2100), Maximum Entropy Models (MaxEnt) model was used to simulate the impacts of future climate change on the distribution of suitable area and the suitability degree of rubber tree powdery mildew in China. The results showed that the MaxEnt model could effectively simulate the historical distribution and suitability degree of rubber tree powdery mildew. The top two major environmental variables were mean temperature of driest quarter and temperature seasonality considering their contribution rates of 44.2% and 24.61%, respectively. Currently, the suitable areas of the rubber tree powdery mildew were mainly concentrated in central and southern Hainan Island, southern Yunnan province, southern Guangxi province, southwestern Guangdong province, and southern Fujian province. Compared with the baseline, the suitable area of rubber tree powdery mildew would enlarge by 0.24%, 0.59%, 0.78%, and 3.25% respectively under 2021–2040, 2041–2060, 2061–2080, and 2081–2100 in China. The suitability degree of rubber tree powdery mildew would increase under future climate change scenarios in China with most significant increase in Hainan and Yunnan rubber planting areas. The key areas for rubber tree powdery mildew prevention and control would concentrate in the southern Yunnan province and the central Hainan Island. The study results could provide an important reference for ensuring the safe production of rubber tree and reducing the use and residue of agricultural chemicals and environmental impacts. • Temperature mainly determines the distribution of rubber tree powdery mildew. • Climate change enlarges the suitable area of rubber tree powdery mildew in China. • Climate change increases suitability degree of rubber tree powdery mildew in China.

Investigations of specialised metabolites of endophyte Diaporthe destruens hosted in Illigera orbiculata C. Y. Wu

A chemical investigation of the endophytic fungus Diaporthe destruens from the Hernandiaceae plant Illigera orbiculata C. Y. Wu collected from southern Yunnan Province, China, led to the isolation of six undescribed compounds, including two azaphilone analogs, which are a pair of epimers (13R-hydroxy-chermesinone A and 13S-hydroxy-chermesinone A); a pyrrole derivative (1-(4-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-3-yl)ethan-1-one); an isoindolone derivative (4-hydroxy-6-methoxyisoindolin-1-one); a benzylbenzene derivative (destruensine A) and a conjectural fragment of polyketide ((2R,4R)-2-(methoxymethyl)pentane-1,4-diol) along with nine known compounds. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and HRESIMS, and the absolute configurations were further confirmed by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and chemical derivatization. The antimicrobial activities, anti-acetylcholinesterase activities, antiproliferation, and NO production inhibitory effects of compounds 1–15 were evaluated.

Potential risk of colonization of Bulinus globosus in the mainland of China under climate change

BackgroundBulinus globosus, the main intermediate snail host of Schistosoma haematobium. The increased contacts between Africa and China could even lead to large-scale dissemination of B. globosus in China. Temperature is the key factor affecting fresh-water snail transmission. This study predicted potential risk of colonization of B. globosus in the mainland of China under climate change.MethodsWe investigated minimum and maximum temperatures for B. globosus eggs, juveniles and adult snails kept under laboratory conditions to find the most suitable range by pinpointing the median effective temperatures (ET50). We also assessed the influence of temperature on spawning and estimated the accumulated temperature (AT). The average air temperatures between 1955 and 2019 in January and July, the coldest and hottest months in China, respectively, were collected from national meteorological monitoring stations and investigated in a geographic information system (GIS) using empirical Bayesian Kriging to evaluate the theoretical possibility for distribution of B. globosus in southern China based on temperature.ResultsThe effective minimum temperature (ET50min) for eggs, juveniles, adult snails and spawning were 8.5, 7.0, 7.0, 14.9 °C, respectively, with the corresponding maximum values (ET50max) of 36.6, 40.5, 40.2 and 38.1 °C. The AT was calculated at 712.1 ± 64.9 °C·d. In 1955, the potential B. globosus distribution would have had a northern boundary stretching from the coastal areas of Guangdong Province and Guangxi Autonomous Region to southern Yunnan Province. Since then, this line has gradually moved northward.ConclusionsAnnual regeneration of B. globosus can be supported by the current climate conditions in the mainland of China, and a gradual expansion trend from south to north is shown in the study from 2015 to 2019. Thus, there is a potential risk of colonization of B. globosus in the mainland of China under climate change.Graphical

Taxonomy and Phylogeny of Meruliaceae with Descriptions of Two New Species from China.

Two new wood-inhabiting fungi Hermanssonia fimbriata sp. nov. and Phlebia austroasiana sp. nov. in the Meruliaceae family are described and illustrated from southwestern China based on molecular and morphological evidence. The characteristics of H. fimbriata include annual, resupinate basidiomata, the absence of cystidia and cystidioles, oblong ellipsoid basidiospores of 5–6 × 2.4–3 μm, and growth on rotten gymnosperm wood in the east Himalayas. Its basidiomata change drastically upon drying, from being a light-coloured, juicy, papillose-to-wrinkled hymenophore, to a dark-coloured, corky-to-gelatinous, and more or less smooth hymenophore. The characteristics of Ph. austroasiana include annual, resupinate basidiomata, a hydnoid hymenophore, 2–3 spines per mm, the presence of tubular cystidia of 20–25 × 3–3.5 µm, oblong ellipsoid basidiospores of 4.4–5.2 × 2.1–3 μm, and growth on angiosperm wood in tropical forests in the southern Yunnan Province. The phylogenetic analyses based on the combined 2-locus dataset (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) + nuclear large subunit RNA (nLSU)) confirm the placement of two new species, respectively, in Hermanssonia and Phlebia s. lato. Phylogenetically, the closely-related species to these two new species are discussed.

Didymocarpus cordifolius (Gesneriaceae), a new species from southern Yunnan, China

Didymocarpus cordifolius, a new species of Gesneriaceae from southern Yunnan Province, China is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to D. silvarum and D. margaritae, but can be readily distinguished by its short petioles with both glandular and eglandular hairs, pale purple corolla, hairy anthers, and ovary and style of subequal length.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Paragonimus Species Isolated from Freshwater Crabs in Southern Yunnan, China.

Paragonimus species are highly prevalent in various regions of China. The study's objective is to isolate and identify Paragonimus from natural habitats and compare the phylogenetic diversity of Paragonimus in southern Yunnan province, China. Metacercariae of Paragonimus was isolated from crabs, and morphologic identification was performed by microscopy. Metacercariae were injected into experimental Paragonimus free Sprague Dawley rats. After 114 days, adult worms and eggs were isolated from multiple organs. Morphologic identification confirmed the initial identification. DNA was extracted from 5 adult worms, and molecular characterization was performed by amplification and sequencing of CO1 and ITS2 regions, followed by phylogenetic analysis. Out of 447 crabs captured, 186 crabs were found to be infected. A total of 4 species of Paragonimus was observed from naturally infected crabs. Paragonimus microrchis (2), Paragonimus heterotremus (1), Paragonimus proliferus (1), and Paragonimus skrjabini (1) were isolated and identified. A total of 32 sequences were downloaded from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, and 5 sequences generated in the study were used for phylogenetic analysis. In the phylogenetic tree of the CO1 gene, Paragonimus proliferus, Paragonimus heterotremus, and Paragonimus skrjabini were clustered with the same species, and the confidence values of their branches were >95%. A congruent phylogenetic relationship was observed with the ITS2 phylogenetic tree. In the phylogenetic tree constructed with the combined dataset of CO1 and ITS2 datasets, Paragonimus proliferus, Paragonimus heterotremus, and Paragonimus skrjabini clustered with the same species, and their branch confidence values were >94%. Paragonimus microrchis clustered with Paragonimus bangkokensis in both datasets. Phylogenetic analysis revealed robustness of the double loci method as against the single-locus method with either CO1 or ITS2 alone. Paragonimus species isolated from the southern Yunnan province, China, was phylogenetically diverse, and the analysis revealed the clustering of multiple species of Paragonimus isolated from different geographic locations.

Falling price induced diversification strategies and rural inequality: Evidence of smallholder rubber farmers

• This study uses a panel data of smallholder rubber farmers in Upper Mekong Region. • Smallholders tend to adopt diversification strategy in response to rubber price declines. • More dependence on rubber results in lower livelihood diversification. • Diversification strategy contributes to improving income and reducing rural inequality. While the expansions of natural rubber in the greater Mekong region from the 1990s were ambitious, the persistently low commodity price of rubber from 2012 makes smallholder rubber farmers suffer from vulnerable livelihoods. This study sheds light on the adjustments in livelihood strategies of smallholder rubber farmers when the upsurge in rubber prices came to an end. Based on the two-wave panel data from some 600 smallholder rubber farmers in the upper Mekong region, Southern Yunnan province of China, this study shows the diversification strategies of smallholders in response to falling rubber prices and examines the impacts of livelihood diversification strategies on farmer income and rural inequality. The results suggest that smallholder rubber farmers tend to shift family labor from farms to off-farm employment and diversify their livelihoods in the context of declining rubber prices. Notably, farmers with relatively low dependence on rubber are more likely to diversify their livelihoods. The falling price induced diversification strategy makes smallholders more resilient against future risks and narrows the rural income gap. The findings of this study advance the literature by providing evidence on how farmers' livelihood strategy and rural inequality change in the face of periodical rubber price volatility.

What triggered the Asian elephant's northward migration across southwestern Yunnan?

The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, is the largest terrestrial animal living in Asia. They require a relatively large space to live in. In China, the wild Asian elephants exist only in XiShuangBanNa, Pu’Er, and LinCang of southern Yunnan Province, with 95% of the wild population residing in the XiShuangBanNa National Nature Reserve. In recent years, territorial conflicts have arisen between humans and elephants around the national nature reserve.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of spring rainfall over Southwest China and their relationships with sea surface temperature during 1961–2017

The spatiotemporal variability of southwest China (SWC) spring (March–April–May) rainfall (SWCSR) during 1961–2017 is investigated using rainfall data from 75 meteorological stations over SWC in this study. It is found that (1) SWC can be divided into four subregions using the rotated empirical orthogonal function (REOF) method: southern Yunnan province (SY), northwestern Yunnan province (NWY), eastern Guizhou province (EG), and northeastern Sichuan province (NES). (2) All subregions show significant 2–8-year periodicity on the interannual timescale. However, only SY rainfall shows significant interdecadal periodicity. (3) The spring La Nina has a significant impact on the simultaneous rainfall over SY. The sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the central North Pacific during late winter can be an important oceanic signal for the prediction of spring rainfall variability over NWY. The southern Indian Ocean dipole (SIOD)–like SSTA pattern during late autumn (early winter) can be an important predictor of rainfall variability over EG (NES) during the following spring. Moreover, the impact of the late autumn SIOD-like pattern on the following spring rainfall over EG is stronger than the impact of the early winter SIOD-like pattern on the NES rainfall during the following spring.

Source-specific ecological and health risks of potentially toxic elements in agricultural soils in Southern Yunnan Province and associated uncertainty analysis

Source-specific risk apportionment is critical to prevent and control soil potentially toxic element (PTE) pollution. This study explored source-specific ecological and human health risks of soil PTEs in Southern Yunnan Province. Geochemical baseline values were determined to assess the pollution level of PTEs; then source-specific risk was apportioned combining positive matrix factorization (PMF) with ecological and human health risk assessment. Obvious accumulation of As, Cd, Pb, and Zn was observed in this area, especially Cd in 21.33% of the samples exhibited significant enrichment. Four sources were quantified based on PMF assisted with GIS-mapping: natural sources (41.49%), traffic emissions (24.70%), industrial activities (17.48%), and agricultural activities (16.33%). Industrial activities were the largest source (64.55%) to ecological risk. Agricultural activities were regarded as the major contributor to non-carcinogenic (adults: 75.93%, children: 62.33%) and carcinogenic risks (adults: 55.97%, children: 56.36%). Non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks for children were higher than adults, and their health risks showed similar trend. Thus, agricultural activities should be regarded as a priority to reduce health risk, whereas industrial activities should be given priority to control ecological risk. Although source-specific risk was quantified, combination with bioavailability and interactions of PTEs are necessary to obtain more accurate results in future.

Infestation and seasonal fluctuation of chigger mites on the Southeast Asian house rat (Rattus brunneusculus) in southern Yunnan Province, China.

Chigger mites are the common ectoparasites of rodents and the exclusive vector of scrub typhus. The Southeast Asian house rat (Rattus brunneusculus) is an important reservoir host and infectious source of some zoonoses including scrub typhus. From April 2016 to March 2017, a 12-month consecutive investigation was made at Jingha village in southern Yunnan of China, which is an important focus of scrub typhus. The infestation and seasonal fluctuation of chigger mites on R. brunneusculus were studied based on the investigation. From 2,053 captured R. brunneusculus, a total of 99,221 chiggers were collected and identified as comprising 102 species with very high species diversity. The richness (S), diversity index (H′), evenness (E) and dominance index (D) of the chigger community on the rat varied in different months. Of the 102 chigger species, five main species accounted for 84.81% of the total chiggers (84,147/99,221). The five main chiggers were Walchia (W.) micropelta (32.65%), Ascoschoengastia indica (24.68%), Leptotrombidium (L.) deliense (19.02%), W. (W.) turmalis (4.63%) and L. (L.) scutellare (3.83%). Of the five chigger species, L. (L.) deliense and L. (L.) scutellare are the most important vectors of scrub typhus in China. The five chigger species showed different patterns of seasonal fluctuation. The seasonal fluctuation of L. (L.) deliense belonged to summer-autumn type with the highest peak in July, but L.(L.) scutellare mainly appeared in winter and spring with the peak from January to February. The temperature and rainfall were two key factors which influenced the seasonal fluctuation of chigger mites.

Detection of bluetongue virus in Culicoides spp. in southern Yunnan Province, China

BackgroundCulicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors for many arboviruses. At least 20 species are considered as vectors or potential vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV) which cause bluetongue disease in ruminants. A BTV prevalence of 30–50% among cattle and goats in tropical southern Yunnan Province, China, prompted an investigation of the potential BTV vectors in this area.MethodsCulicoides were collected by light trapping at three sites in the tropical region of Yunnan Province. Species were identified based on morphology and DNA sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1). PCR and quantitative PCR following reverse transcription were used to test for the presence of BTV RNA in these specimens. Phylogenetic analysis was used to analyze the cox1 sequences of Culicoides specimens infected with BTV.ResultsApproximately 67,000 specimens of Culicoides were collected, of which 748 were tested for the presence of BTV. Five specimens, including two of Culicoides jacobsoni, one of C. tainanus and two of C. imicola, were identified as infected with BTV. No specimens of C. (subgenus Trithecoides) or C. oxystoma tested were positive for BTV infection.ConclusionsTo our knowledge this is the first report of C. jacobsoni as a potential BTV vector and the fourth report of an association between C. tainanus and BTV, as well as the first direct evidence of an association between BTV and C. imicola in Asia. A fourth potential cryptic species within C. tainanus was identified in this study. Further analysis is required to confirm the importance of C. jacobsoni and C. tainanus in BTV epidemiology in Asia.Graphical