Species Identification of Mansonia dives (Diptera: Culicidae) in Thailand using DNA barcoding

Tanawat  Chaiphongpachara; Sedthapong  Laojun

Tanawat Chaiphongpachara Department of Public Health and Health Promotion, College of Allied Health Sciences, Suan Sunandha
Sedthapong Laojun Department of Public Health and Health Promotion, College of Allied Health Sciences, Suan Sunandha

Keywords: DNA barcoding, Mansonia dives, phylogenetic analysis

Abstract

Accurate mosquito species identification is essential for effective vector surveillance and disease control. Mansonia dives (Diptera: Culicidae) is a medically important mosquito species implicated in the transmission of filarial parasites such as Brugia malayi and Wuchereria bancrofti. Morphological identification of Mansonia species is often challenging due to overlapping diagnostic characteristics and intraspecific variation. This study aimed to confirm the species identity of Ma. dives in Thailand using DNA barcoding based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Ten mosquito specimens morphologically identified as Ma. dives were collected from Koh Kood District, Trat Province, and subjected to DNA extraction, PCR amplification, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis . Sequence comparisons with two international databases , including GenBank and the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD), revealed 99 .69-100 % similarity with reference Ma. dives sequences. Phylogenetic analysis based on the neighbor-joining method showed all specimens clustering within the Ma. dives clade, closely related to Ma. bonneae, Ma. uniformis, and Ma. annulifera. These results confirm that DNA barcoding provides a reliable, precise, and reproducible molecular tool for identifying Ma. dives and differentiating it from closely related species . The findings support the integration of DNA barcoding into routine mosquito surveillance to enhance taxonomic accuracy and strengthen vector monitoring programs in Thailand.