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Kanta W, Limsopatham K, Sukontason KL, Sukontason K, Dujardin JP, Dujardin S, Sanit S. Geometry of posterior larval spiracles to identify medically and forensically important calliphorids in Thailand. Acta Trop 2024; 252:107126. [PMID: 38316241 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Fly identification is the primary step of analysis in forensic entomology. Although morphology and molecular techniques are considered satisfactory methods, some constraints may arise from a financial or even human point of view. Over the past decade, the geometric morphometric approach has been increasingly advocated for the classification and identification of arthropods. This study explored the method for species identification of 800 third-instar larvae of eight blow fly species of medical and forensic importance: Chrysomya chani Kurahashi, Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius), Chrysomya (Ceylonomyia) nigripes Aubertin, Chrysomya pinguis (Walker), Chrysomya (Achoetandrus) rufifacies (Macquart), Hemipyrellia ligurriens (Wiedemann), Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann), and Lucilia porphyrina (Walker). Based on the posterior spiracles geometry, the cross-validation revealed a relatively high percentage of correct classification in most species, ranking from 86% to 100%. The results of this study confirmed that the geometric morphometric (GM) analysis of posterior spiracles might be utilized as a larva identification tool. Therefore, this GM method represents one way of overcoming difficulties with the identification of blow fly larvae and can support further studies of these flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanida Kanta
- Master of Science Program in Forensic Science, Graduate School, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Kwankamol Limsopatham
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Kabkaew L Sukontason
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Kom Sukontason
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | | | - Sebastien Dujardin
- INTERTRYP, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, F-34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Sangob Sanit
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
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Ling MH, Ivorra T, Heo CC, Wardhana AH, Hall MJR, Tan SH, Mohamed Z, Khang TF. Machine learning analysis of wing venation patterns accurately identifies Sarcophagidae, Calliphoridae and Muscidae fly species. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:767-781. [PMID: 37477152 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
In medical, veterinary and forensic entomology, the ease and affordability of image data acquisition have resulted in whole-image analysis becoming an invaluable approach for species identification. Krawtchouk moment invariants are a classical mathematical transformation that can extract local features from an image, thus allowing subtle species-specific biological variations to be accentuated for subsequent analyses. We extracted Krawtchouk moment invariant features from binarised wing images of 759 male fly specimens from the Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae and Muscidae families (13 species and a species variant). Subsequently, we trained the Generalized, Unbiased, Interaction Detection and Estimation random forests classifier using linear discriminants derived from these features and inferred the species identity of specimens from the test samples. Fivefold cross-validation results show a 98.56 ± 0.38% (standard error) mean identification accuracy at the family level and a 91.04 ± 1.33% mean identification accuracy at the species level. The mean F1-score of 0.89 ± 0.02 reflects good balance of precision and recall properties of the model. The present study consolidates findings from previous small pilot studies of the usefulness of wing venation patterns for inferring species identities. Thus, the stage is set for the development of a mature data analytic ecosystem for routine computer image-based identification of fly species that are of medical, veterinary and forensic importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Hao Ling
- Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Tania Ivorra
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Chong Chin Heo
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - April Hari Wardhana
- Research Center for Veterinary Science, The National Research and Innovation Agency, Bogor, Indonesia
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | | | - Siew Hwa Tan
- International Department of Dipterology, Kuala Lumpur Laboratory, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Zulqarnain Mohamed
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Tsung Fei Khang
- Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Universiti Malaya Centre for Data Analytics, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Sauer FG, Pfitzner WP, Jöst H, Rauhöft L, Kliemke K, Lange U, Heitmann A, Jansen S, Lühken R. Using geometric wing morphometrics to distinguish Aedes japonicus japonicus and Aedes koreicus. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:418. [PMID: 37968721 PMCID: PMC10648383 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06038-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald, 1901) and Aedes koreicus (Edwards, 1917) have rapidly spread in Europe over the last decades. Both species are very closely related and occur in sympatry. Females and males are difficult to distinguish. However, the accurate species discrimination is important as both species may differ in their vectorial capacity and spreading behaviour. In this study, we assessed the potential of geometric wing morphometrics as alternative to distinguish the two species. METHODS A total of 147 Ae. j. japonicus specimens (77 females and 70 males) and 124 Ae. koreicus specimens (67 females and 57 males) were collected in southwest Germany. The left wing of each specimen was removed, mounted and photographed. The coordinates of 18 landmarks on the vein crosses were digitalised by a single observer. The resulting two-dimensional dataset was used to analyse the differences in the wing size (i.e. centroid size) and wing shape between Ae. j. japonicus and Ae. koreicus using geometric morphometrics. To analyse the reproducibility of the analysis, the landmark collection was repeated for 20 specimens per sex and species by two additional observers. RESULTS The wing size in female Ae. koreicus was significantly greater than in Ae. j. japonicus but did not differ significantly for males. However, the strong overlap in wing size also for the females would not allow to discriminate the two species. In contrast, the wing shape clustering was species specific and a leave-one-out validation resulted in a reclassification accuracy of 96.5% for the females and 91.3% for the males. The data collected by different observers resulted in a similar accuracy, indicating a low observer bias for the landmark collection. CONCLUSIONS Geometric wing morphometrics provide a reliable and robust tool to distinguish female and male specimens of Ae. j. japonicus and Ae. koreicus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix G Sauer
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Wolf Peter Pfitzner
- Kommunale Aktionsgemeinschaft Zur Bekämpfung Der Schnakenplage e. V. (KABS), Georg-Peter-Süß-Str. 3, 67346, Speyer, Germany
| | - Hanna Jöst
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Leif Rauhöft
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Unchana Lange
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anna Heitmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephanie Jansen
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Renke Lühken
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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Ardkhongharn N, Ravichotikul R, Aksornchai P, Weluwanarak T, Chaiphongpachara T, Changbunjong T. Wing geometric morphometrics to distinguish and identify Haematobosca flies (Diptera: Muscidae) from Thailand. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 21:74-82. [PMID: 37144141 PMCID: PMC10151224 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The hematophagous flies of the genus Haematobosca Bezzi, 1907 (Diptera: Muscidae) are important ectoparasites in domestic animals and wildlife. Two species of this genus have been recorded in Thailand, viz., Haematobosca sanguinolenta (Austen, 1909) and Haematobosca aberrans (Pont, Duvallet & Changbunjong, 2020). They have a similar morphology and coexist in the same habitat. The correct species identification of these flies is extremely important for understanding disease epidemiology and developing effective control measures. Geometric morphometrics (GM) has been confirmed to be a useful tool for differentiating and identifying morphologically similar insect species. Therefore, GM was used to distinguish and identify H. sanguinolenta and H. aberrans in Thailand. Adult flies of both sexes were collected using Nzi traps, morphologically identified, and analyzed by landmark-based GM of the wing. Results showed that GM was highly effective in distinguishing the two Haematobosca species based on their wing shape, with an overall accuracy score of 99.3%. We also revealed that our study material could be used as reference data to identify new field specimens collected from other geographic locations. We propose that wing GM can be used as a supplement to conventional morphology identification, particularly for Haematobosca specimen that has been damaged or has lost its diagnostic characteristics due to specimen collection and processing in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nusara Ardkhongharn
- Department of Pre-Clinic and Applied Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Romyakorn Ravichotikul
- Department of Pre-Clinic and Applied Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Patthanan Aksornchai
- Department of Pre-Clinic and Applied Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Thekhawet Weluwanarak
- The Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals (MoZWE), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Tanawat Chaiphongpachara
- Department of Public Health and Health Promotion, College of Allied Health Sciences, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Samut Songkhram, 75000, Thailand
| | - Tanasak Changbunjong
- Department of Pre-Clinic and Applied Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
- The Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals (MoZWE), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
- Corresponding author. Department of Pre-Clinic and Applied Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand.
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Niyigena G, Lee S, Kwon S, Song D, Cho BK. Real-Time Detection and Classification of Scirtothrips dorsalis on Fruit Crops with Smartphone-Based Deep Learning System: Preliminary Results. INSECTS 2023; 14:523. [PMID: 37367339 DOI: 10.3390/insects14060523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
This study proposes a deep-learning-based system for detecting and classifying Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood, a highly invasive insect pest that causes significant economic losses to fruit crops worldwide. The system uses yellow sticky traps and a deep learning model to detect the presence of thrips in real time, allowing farmers to take prompt action to prevent the spread of the pest. To achieve this, several deep learning models are evaluated, including YOLOv5, Faster R-CNN, SSD MobileNetV2, and EfficientDet-D0. EfficientDet-D0 was integrated into the proposed smartphone application for mobility and usage in the absence of Internet coverage because of its smaller model size, fast inference time, and reasonable performance on the relevant dataset. This model was tested on two datasets, in which thrips and non-thrips insects were captured under different lighting conditions. The system installation took up 13.5 MB of the device's internal memory and achieved an inference time of 76 ms with an accuracy of 93.3%. Additionally, this study investigated the impact of lighting conditions on the performance of the model, which led to the development of a transmittance lighting setup to improve the accuracy of the detection system. The proposed system is a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional detection methods and provides significant benefits to fruit farmers and the related ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gildas Niyigena
- Department of Smart Agricultural System, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangjun Lee
- Department of Biosystems Machinery Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Soonhwa Kwon
- Citrus Research Institute, Seogwipo 63607, Republic of Korea
| | - Daebin Song
- Department of Biosystem Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung-Kwan Cho
- Department of Smart Agricultural System, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biosystems Machinery Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
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Changbunjong T, Chaiphongpachara T, Weluwanarak T. Species Discrimination of Stomoxys Flies S. bengalensis, S. calcitrans, and S. sitiens (Diptera: Muscidae) Using Wing Geometric Morphometrics. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040647. [PMID: 36830433 PMCID: PMC9951760 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The flies of the genus Stomoxys Geoffroy, 1762 (Diptera: Muscidae), are regarded as pests of veterinary and medical importance. In Thailand, Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus, 1758) is the most abundant species and is widely distributed throughout the country. This Stomoxys species can coexist with two other morphologically similar species: Stomoxys bengalensis Picard, 1908, and Stomoxys sitiens Rondani, 1873. Hence, discriminating using morphological characteristics is difficult, especially if the specimen is damaged or loses its diagnostic characteristics. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the landmark-based geometric morphometric (GM) approach to discriminate among the three Stomoxys spp.: S. bengalensis, S. calcitrans, and S. sitiens. Left-wing images of S. bengalensis (n = 120), S. calcitrans (n = 150), and S. sitiens (n = 155) were used for the GM analyses. The results of the wing shape analyses revealed that the GM approach was highly effective for discriminating three Stomoxys, with high accuracy scores ranging from 93.75% to 100%. This study adds to the evidence that landmark-based GM is an excellent alternative approach for discriminating Stomoxys species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanasak Changbunjong
- Department of Pre-Clinic and Applied Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
- The Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals (MoZWE), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
- Correspondence:
| | - Tanawat Chaiphongpachara
- Department of Public Health and Health Promotion, College of Allied Health Sciences, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Samut Songkhram 75000, Thailand
| | - Thekhawet Weluwanarak
- The Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals (MoZWE), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
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Classifying fossil Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) with geometric morphometrics of fore wings. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275570. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Linking fossil species to the extant diversity is often a difficult task, and the correct interpretation of character evidence is crucial for assessing their taxonomic placement. Here, we make use of geometric morphometrics of fore wings to help classify five fossil Darwin wasps from the Early Eocene Fur Formation in Denmark into subfamilies and often tribes. We compile a reference dataset with 342 fore wings of nine extant subfamilies and nine relevant fossil species. Since geometric morphometrics was mostly ignored in the past in Darwin wasp classification, the dataset is first used to examine differences and similarities in wing venation among subfamilies. In a next step, we used the reference dataset to inform the classification of the fossil species, which resulted in the description of one new genus and five new species, Crusopimpla weltii sp. nov., Ebriosa flava gen. et sp. nov., Entypoma? duergari sp. nov., Lathrolestes? zlatorog sp. nov., and Triclistus bibori sp. nov., in four different subfamilies. Carefully assessing data quality, we show that the fore wing venation of fossil Darwin wasps is surprisingly suitable to assign them to a subfamily or even lower taxonomic level, especially when used in conjunction with characters from other parts of the body to narrow down a candidate set of potential subfamilies and tribes. Our results not only demonstrate a fast and useful approach to inform fossil classification but provide a basis for future investigations into evolutionary changes in fore wings of ichneumonids. The high informativeness of wing venation for classification furthermore could be harvested for phylogenetic analyses, which are otherwise often hampered by homoplasy in this parasitoid wasp family.
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Deak G, Safarov A, Xie XC, Wang R, Mihalca AD, Šlapeta J. Fleas from the Silk Road in Central Asia: identification of Ctenocephalides canis and Ctenocephalides orientis on owned dogs in Uzbekistan using molecular identification and geometric morphometrics. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:345. [PMID: 36175928 PMCID: PMC9520841 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05477-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Silk Road connected the East and West for over 1500 years. Countries in Central Asia are valuable in addressing the hypothesis that parasites on domestic animals were introduced along the Silk Road. Adult fleas are obligate parasites, having worldwide distribution. In dogs, Ctenocephalides canis, C. felis and C. orientis are the most common species identified. The distribution of the Oriental cat flea, C. orientis, is restricted to southeast Asia. The purpose of this study was to determine the diversity of dog fleas from Uzbekistan, a country in Central Asia, with particular reference to C. orientis. Methods Fleas were collected from 77 dogs from 5 locations in Uzbekistan. The cox1 gene sequences from Ctenocephalides spp. were compared to global collection of Ctenocephalides cox1 haplotypes. Landmark-based geometric morphometrics have been applied to the head and curvature to compare C. canis and C. canis using canonical variate analysis and discriminant function analysis. Results Overall, 199 fleas were collected and identified as C. canis (n = 115, 58%), C. orientis (n = 53, 27%) and Pulex irritans (n = 22, 11%). None of the fleas were C. felis. All Ctenocephalides spp. fleas were subject to cox1 amplification and 95% (166/175) yielded DNA sequence. There were 25 cox1 haplotypes; 14 (22/25, 88%) were C. canis cox1 haplotypes and 3 (3/25, 12%) were C. orientis cox1 haplotypes. Molecular analysis confirmed the absence of C. felis. Four (4/22) and one (1/3) cox1 haplotypes were identical to cox1 haplotypes belonging to C. canis and C. orientis cox1 haplotypes identified elsewhere, respectively. Overall morphometric analysis confirmed significant differences between the head shape of C. canis and C. orientis and improved four–fivefold the species identification compared to traditional morphological key. Conclusion We report for the first time the presence of C. orientis in Uzbekistan. Differentiation of C. orientis from C. canis and C. felis remains difficult in regions where these species coexist. Studies in Central and Southeast Asia should confirm species identity using cox1 locus to enable retracing of the distribution of the Ctenocephalides in Asia. The presence of C. orientis suggests that this species may have been introduced from the east along the ancient Silk Road. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05477-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgiana Deak
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Alisher Safarov
- State Committee of Veterinary and Livestock Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Xi Carria Xie
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Runting Wang
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Jan Šlapeta
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Szpila K, Johnston NP, Akbarzadeh K, Richet R, Tofilski A. Wing measurements are a possible tool for the identification of European forensically important Sarcophagidae. Forensic Sci Int 2022; 340:111451. [PMID: 36150278 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The flesh flies are a group of insects well known for their forensic importance. Reliable identification of these flies relies on the use of either molecular markers or the morphology of the male genital apparatus. Identification of female flesh flies is more time consuming and less reliable than their male counterparts. This is particularly problematic for forensic entomology practitioners, because female flesh flies are more abundant than males in carrion arthropod assemblages. As such, it is critical that alternative methods for flesh fly identification are established that are equally effective for both sexes. One promising technique is the use of wing measurements, which have been shown to be reliable for the identification of some groups of necrophagous Diptera from several geographical regions. We applied this method to the European Sarcophagidae for the first time, using a dataset of 881 specimens representing 29 species and 5 genera. Species identifications were based on 15 landmarks located at wing vein junctions. We also combined our results with data from previous studies of Calliphoridae and Muscidae which utilised the same methodology, enabling the testing of family level identification using wing morphometrics. Species identifications using wing measurements had varied success. While some species were successfully identified without error, others, particularly from the genus Sarcophaga, were often misclassified. Notably, in several species wing measurements successfully identified both males and females. The results presented here suggest that wing measurements are a promising complementary method to other methods for the identification of necrophagous Sarcophagidae especially in material unsorted at the family level. It can also be used to double check identification performed by a taxonomist using traditional methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Szpila
- Department of Ecology and Biogeography, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Nikolas P Johnston
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology, 15 Broadway Ultimo, Sydney 2007, Australia
| | - Kamran Akbarzadeh
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rene Richet
- 16 Grande Rue, 03220, Jaligny-sur-Besbre, France
| | - Adam Tofilski
- Department of Zoology and Animal Welfare, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
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Chaiphongpachara T, Weluwanarak T, Changbunjong T. Intraspecific variation in wing geometry among Tabanus rubidus (Diptera: Tabanidae) populations in Thailand. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:920755. [PMID: 36118331 PMCID: PMC9480827 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.920755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tabanus rubidus (Wiedemann, 1821) (Diptera: Tabanidae) is a hematophagous insect of veterinary and medical importance and is the predominant Tabanus spp. in Thailand. It is a potential mechanical vector of Trypanosoma evansi, which causes surra in domestic and wild animals. Wing geometric morphometrics is widely used as morphological markers for species identification and to assess the insect population structure. Herein, we investigated the intraspecific variation in wing geometry among T. rubidus populations in Thailand using landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis. Tabanus rubidus females were collected from five populations in four geographical regions in Thailand. The left wings of 240 specimens were removed and digitized using 22 landmarks for analysis. While wing size variations were found between some populations, wing shape variations were detected in all. These intraspecific variations in T. rubidus populations indicate an adaptive response to the local environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanawat Chaiphongpachara
- Department of Public Health and Health Promotion, College of Allied Health Sciences, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thekhawet Weluwanarak
- The Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Tanasak Changbunjong
- The Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- Department of Pre-clinic and Applied Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- *Correspondence: Tanasak Changbunjong
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Aracil A, Ačanski J, Pérez-Bañón C, Šikoparija B, Miličić M, Campoy A, Radenković S, Vujić A, Radišić P, Rojo S. Characterization of preimaginal developmental stages of two cryptic South African species of the Merodon planifacies complex (Diptera: Syrphidae: Eristalinae: Merodontini), with differentiation through morphometry analysis. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2022; 70:101187. [PMID: 35724447 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2022.101187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Merodon capi Vujić et Radenković, 2020 and Merodon roni Radenković et Vujić, 2020 are two cryptic species belonging to the Merodon planifacies Bezzi, 1915 species complex that have recently been described, with the differences between them being revealed by molecular and geometric morphometry studies of adult specimens. In the present study, the preimaginal morphology of both species is described and displayed, with the material used corresponding to samples taken from bulbs of Merwilla plumbea (Lindl.) Speta plants at two locations in KwaZulu-Natal province (South Africa). The preimaginal stages were compared, looking for morphological evidence supporting species divergence. Linear and geometric morphometric analyses of the larval posterior respiratory process were conducted for the first time and the results of these analyses support the separation of the two taxa. Information about the life cycle and the relation with the host plant is also provided. In addition, we carried out a preliminary study of the adult feeding requirements of the species, based on the description of the mouthparts and an analysis of the pollen present in the gut and on the integument of adults. The results of the study supports a close relationship between the preimaginal stages and plant species of the Hyacinthaceae family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Aracil
- University of Alicante, Department of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources, PO Box 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain.
| | - Jelena Ačanski
- University of Novi Sad, BioSense Institute - Research Institute for Information Technologies in Biosystems, Dr Zorana Đinđića 1, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Celeste Pérez-Bañón
- University of Alicante, Department of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources, PO Box 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
| | - Branko Šikoparija
- University of Novi Sad, BioSense Institute - Research Institute for Information Technologies in Biosystems, Dr Zorana Đinđića 1, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Marija Miličić
- University of Novi Sad, BioSense Institute - Research Institute for Information Technologies in Biosystems, Dr Zorana Đinđića 1, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Andrés Campoy
- University of Alicante, Department of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources, PO Box 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
| | - Snezana Radenković
- University of Novi Sad, Department of Biology and Ecology, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Ante Vujić
- University of Novi Sad, Department of Biology and Ecology, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Predrag Radišić
- University of Novi Sad, BioSense Institute - Research Institute for Information Technologies in Biosystems, Dr Zorana Đinđića 1, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Santos Rojo
- University of Alicante, Department of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources, PO Box 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
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12
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Silva HKTDA, Barbosa TM, Santos MCD, Silva LG, de Lima LAS, Morais CLM, Bicudo TC, Gama RA, de Lima KMG. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) coupled with chemometric methods to identify and estimate taxonomic relationships of flies with forensic potential (Diptera: Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae). Acta Trop 2022; 235:106672. [PMID: 36041495 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Infrared spectroscopy has been gaining prominence in entomology, such as for solving taxonomic problems, sexing adult specimens, determining the age of immature specimens, detecting drugs of abuse in fly larvae, and can be an important technique in Forensic Entomology. In order to help identify the species of Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae families, the present study aimed to evaluate the use of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) coupled with chemometric methods for separating fly specimens into taxonomic categories and understanding the taxonomic relationship between them. Spectra collected from nine species of flies were subjected to unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), in which we sought to visualize the relationship between the samples (segregation of genera and families) with subsequent identification. In PCA, the best model was achieved using five principal components (PCs), which explained 99.16% of total variance of the original data set. The first principal component (PC1) and the fourth principal component (PC4) provided the best segregation, the latter being more important in the segregation of the species Chrysomya albiceps, Lucilia eximia, and Ravinia belforti from the others. In the HCA dendrogram, there was a clear separation between the specimens by family (Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae) and genera (Chrysomya, Lucilia, Oxysarcodexia, Peckia and Ravinia). This study shows that NIRS is efficient to identify flies' taxonomic properties, such as family and genera, providing quick evidence for the tested species identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hellyda K T de Andrade Silva
- Laboratório de Química Biológica e Quimiometria, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil
| | - Taciano M Barbosa
- Laboratório de Insetos e Vetores, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil
| | - Marfran C D Santos
- Laboratório de Química Biológica e Quimiometria, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil.; Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sertão Pernambucano - Campus Floresta, Floresta 56400-000, Brasil
| | - Lidiane G Silva
- Laboratório de Química Biológica e Quimiometria, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil
| | - Leomir A S de Lima
- Laboratório de Química Biológica e Quimiometria, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil
| | - Camilo L M Morais
- Laboratório de Química Biológica e Quimiometria, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil
| | - Tatiana C Bicudo
- Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Centro de Tecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil
| | - Renata A Gama
- Laboratório de Insetos e Vetores, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil
| | - Kássio M G de Lima
- Laboratório de Química Biológica e Quimiometria, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil..
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Rodrigues-Filho SJM, Prado E Castro C, Lopes LF, da Fonseca IP, Rebelo MT. Size does matter: intraspecific geometric morphometric analysis of wings of the blowfly Chrysomya albiceps (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Acta Trop 2022; 235:106662. [PMID: 35998679 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Blowflies have forensic, sanitary and veterinary importance, as well as being pollinators, parasitoids and ecological bioindicators. There is still little work with real data and from experiments assessing the relationship between blowflies' morphologic features and environmental and demographic factors. The present work tests whether the variation, in the shape and size, of Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819) wings is influenced by the following factors: 1) time; 2) temperature; 3) sex and; 4) different types of carcasses (pig, dog/cat and whale). Male and female wings from four different sites collected in six different years were used to obtain wing size and shape of C. albiceps. Analyses between wing shape and the variables tested had low explanatory power, even though they had statistical support. However, it was possible to identify differences in wing shape between males and females, with good returns in sex identification. The comparison between wing size and the variables tested showed that wing size has a negative relationship with temperature, significant differences between sexes, slight variation over time and no influence by carcass types. Furthermore, wing size influenced wing shape. Understanding population-specific characteristics of C. albiceps provide important insights about how the species reacts under specific conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio J M Rodrigues-Filho
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar/Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal; Universidade do Estado do Amapá, Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental, Avenida Presidente Vargas, 650 - Central, Macapá AP, 68900-070, Brasil.
| | - Catarina Prado E Castro
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Luís Filipe Lopes
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal; Centro de Ecologia, Evolução e Alterações Ambientais (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Isabel Pereira da Fonseca
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal; Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS)
| | - Maria Teresa Rebelo
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar/Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
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Sukontason KL, Sanit S, Limsopatham K, Wannasan A, Somboon P, Sukontason K. Chrysomya pinguis (Walker) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), blow fly of forensic importance: A review of bionomics and forensic entomology appraisal. Acta Trop 2022; 232:106506. [PMID: 35562089 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Role of blow flies as the entomological evidence used in forensic investigations has risen dramatically worldwide. As the diverse habitats of Thailand suitably endowed with biodiversity of insects, blow flies of forensic importance need investigation in their bionomics, which are further applied in forensic investigations. Chrysomya pinguis (Walker, 1858) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) make up one of the most common blow fly species found associated with the human corpses and/or death scenes in several countries of the Asia continent. Given the major species as forensically important, this review is performed by the need for gathering information of C. pinguis from literature search in the future application in the regions where this species exists. This review deals with morphology, current knowledge on bionomics and forensic entomology involvement. Important morphological characteristics of egg, larva, puparium and adult were highlighted with illustration and/or micrographs. Search pertaining to molecular analysis used for fly identification and developmental rate of larvae were included. Furthermore, we outline potential issues and challenges of C. pinguis research that necessitate forensic applications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kabkaew L Sukontason
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Sangob Sanit
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Kwankamol Limsopatham
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Anchalee Wannasan
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Pradya Somboon
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Kom Sukontason
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
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15
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A novel use of a geometric morphometric technique to distinguish human parasite eggs of twelve different species. Exp Parasitol 2022; 238:108281. [PMID: 35594932 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2022.108281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Copro-microscopic diagnostic methods are the most common approach for screening patients with parasitic infections. However, expertise is required to identify helminthic eggs from fecal specimens. Consequently, new methods are required. Novel technologies have recently been developed for the classification of organisms, including geometric morphometric (GM) approaches. In this study, the outline-based GM approach was used to distinguish the eggs of 12 common human parasite species, including Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Enterobius vermicularis, hookworm, Capillaria philippinensis, Opisthorchis spp., Fasciola spp., Paragonimus spp., Schistosoma mekongi, Taenia spp., Hymenolepis diminuta and Hymenolepis nana. The GM analysis revealed that the size cannot be used as the main variable in the identification of parasite species at the egg stage, producing only 30.18% overall accuracy. However, comparisons of shape based on the Mahalanobis distances between pairs of parasite species showed significant differences in all pairs (p < 0.05). The shape analysis produced 84.29% overall accuracy. This is the first time that outline-based GM has been preliminarily confirmed as a valuable approach to support copro-microscopic analysis, in order to effectively screen helminth eggs. However, further studies with a larger set of helminth eggs and artefacts should be carried out to increase confidence in the identification of parasite species in the absence of local experts.
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16
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Leveraging machine learning tools and algorithms for analysis of fruit fly morphometrics. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7208. [PMID: 35505067 PMCID: PMC9065030 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11258-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of landmark-based morphometric measurements taken on body parts of insects have been a useful taxonomic approach alongside DNA barcoding in insect identification. Statistical analysis of morphometrics have largely been dominated by traditional methods and approaches such as principal component analysis (PCA), canonical variate analysis (CVA) and discriminant analysis (DA). However, advancement in computing power creates a paradigm shift to apply modern tools such as machine learning. Herein, we assess the predictive performance of four machine learning classifiers; K-nearest neighbor (KNN), random forest (RF), support vector machine (the linear, polynomial and radial kernel SVMs) and artificial neural network (ANNs) on fruit fly morphometrics that were previously analysed using PCA and CVA. KNN and RF performed poorly with overall model accuracy lower than "no-information rate" (NIR) (p value > 0.1). The SVM models had a predictive accuracy of > 95%, significantly higher than NIR (p < 0.001), Kappa > 0.78 and area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics was > 0.91; while ANN model had a predictive accuracy of 96%, significantly higher than NIR, Kappa of 0.83 and AUC was 0.98. Wing veins 2, 3, 8, 10, 14 and tibia length were of higher importance than other variables based on both SVM and ANN models. We conclude that SVM and ANN models could be used to discriminate fruit fly species based on wing vein and tibia length measurements or any other morphologically similar pest taxa. These algorithms could be used as candidates for developing an integrated and smart application software for insect discrimination and identification. Variable importance analysis results in this study would be useful for future studies for deciding what must be measured.
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17
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MacLeod N, Price B, Stevens Z. What you sample is what you get: ecomorphological variation in Trithemis (Odonata, Libellulidae) dragonfly wings reconsidered. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:43. [PMID: 35410171 PMCID: PMC8996507 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-01978-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The phylogenetic ecology of the Afro-Asian dragonfly genus Trithemis has been investigated previously by Damm et al. (in Mol Phylogenet Evol 54:870–882, 2010) and wing ecomorphology by Outomuro et al. (in J Evol Biol 26:1866–1874, 2013). However, the latter investigation employed a somewhat coarse sampling of forewing and hindwing outlines and reported results that were at odds in some ways with expectations given the mapping of landscape and water-body preference over the Trithemis cladogram produced by Damm et al. (in Mol Phylogenet Evol 54:870–882, 2010). To further explore the link between species-specific wing shape variation and habitat we studied a new sample of 27 Trithemis species employing a more robust statistical test for phylogenetic covariation, more comprehensive representations of Trithemis wing morphology and a wider range of morphometric data-analysis procedures. Results Contrary to the Outomuro et al. (in J Evol Biol 26:1866–1874, 2013) report, our results indicate that no statistically significant pattern of phylogenetic covariation exists in our Trithemis forewing and hindwing data and that both male and female wing datasets exhibit substantial shape differences between species that inhabit open and forested landscapes and species that hunt over temporary/standing or running water bodies. Among the morphometric analyses performed, landmark data and geometric morphometric data-analysis methods yielded the worst performance in identifying ecomorphometric shape distinctions between Trithemis habitat guilds. Direct analysis of wing images using an embedded convolution (deep learning) neural network delivered the best performance. Bootstrap and jackknife tests of group separations and discriminant-function stability confirm that our results are not artifacts of overtrained discriminant systems or the “curse of dimensionality” despite the modest size of our sample. Conclusion Our results suggest that Trithemis wing morphology reflects the environment’s “push” to a much greater extent than phylogeny’s “pull”. In addition, they indicate that close attention should be paid to the manner in which morphologies are sampled for morphometric analysis and, if no prior information is available to guide sampling strategy, the sample that most comprehensively represents the morphologies of interest should be obtained. In many cases this will be digital images (2D) or scans (3D) of the entire morphology or morphological feature rather than sparse sets of landmark/semilandmark point locations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-01978-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman MacLeod
- School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Benjamin Price
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Zackary Stevens
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Main Building, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
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Limsopatham K, Tanajitaree C, Sanit S, Sukontason K, Somboon P, Amendt J, Feddern N, Sukontason KL. Wing morphometrics as a tool for the identification of forensic important Lucilia spp. (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Acta Trop 2022; 226:106242. [PMID: 34800378 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Blow flies of the genera Lucilia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are considered forensically important species across several regions of the world. Due to the similarity of adults, especially females, the usual methods based on morphology or even molecular techniques can experience some limitations; therefore, alternative or supportive tools are required. Recently, the landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis has been applied to discriminate many insects on genus and species level. Herein, we focus on wing morphometric analysis as a tool in classifying five species of Lucilia; three species from Thailand - L. cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830), L. porphyrina (Walker, 1856) and L. sinensis Aubertin, 1933; and two species from Switzerland - L. caesar (Linnaeus, 1758) and L. illustris (Meigen, 1826). Canonical variate analysis of 233 right wings showed four overlapping clusters of L. cuprina, L. sinensis, L. caesar, and L. illustris with one distinct cluster of L. porphyrina. Eighty-eight to 100 percent of correct classification was achieved, with an UPGMA dendrogram analysis revealing clear-cut branch and sub-branch of five species determined. Results from this study suggested that wing morphometric analysis is a useful tool for the identification of adult Lucilia spp.
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Inoda T, Watanabe K, Odajima T, Miyazaki Y, Yasui S, Kitano T, Konuma J. Larval clypeus shape provides an indicator for quantitative discrimination of species and larval stages in Japanese diving beetles Cybister (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). ZOOL ANZ 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2021.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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The Head of Fannia pusio (Fanniidae: Diptera) as A Novel Source of Morphometric Data for Assessing of Variation Along Geographic and Biological Lines. Zool Stud 2021; 60:e16. [PMID: 34853607 DOI: 10.6620/zs.2021.60-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Fannia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 is the most diverse genus in the family Fanniidae (Diptera), with 288 species, many of which are include many of sanitary, economic and legal interest. The morphological homogeneity within the genus often makes species determination difficult. The best option for correct identification is to combine molecular and morphological analyses. The variation in the shape of a selection of body characters can be assessed by Geometric Morphometrics using the head as an innovative structure. Sex must be accounted for as a key covariate in this kind of study, since Fannia, as many other Diptera, has a sexually dimorphic head structure, with holoptic males and dicoptic females. Firstly, we analysed a set of Fannia sp. specimens sampled across the Iberian Peninsula (2012-2015), of which Fannia pusio (Wiedemann, 1830) was found to be the most abundant species. Our analyses provide significant morphological information. Fannia pusio exhibits clear intraspecific morphometric variation along an Iberian-wide East-West axis. A similar pattern emerged when comparing a laboratory-bred colony and wild samples.
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21
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Champakaew D, Junkum A, Sontigun N, Sanit S, Limsopatham K, Saeung A, Somboon P, Pitasawat B. Geometric morphometric wing analysis as a tool to discriminate female mosquitoes from different suburban areas of Chiang Mai province, Thailand. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260333. [PMID: 34843516 PMCID: PMC8629303 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes are hematophagous insects that transmit parasites and pathogens with devastating effects on humans, particularly in subtropical regions. Different mosquito species display various behaviors, breeding sites, and geographic distribution; however, they can be difficult to distinguish in the field due to morphological similarities between species and damage caused during trapping and transportation. Vector control methods for controlling mosquito-borne disease epidemics require an understanding of which vector species are present in the area as well as the epidemiological patterns of disease transmission. Although molecular techniques can accurately distinguish between mosquito species, they are costly and laborious, making them unsuitable for extensive use in the field. Thus, alternative techniques are required. Geometric morphometrics (GM) is a rapid and inexpensive technique that can be used to analyze the size, shape, and shape variation of individuals based on a range of traits. Here, we used GM to analyze the wings of 1,040 female mosquitoes from 12 different species in Thailand. The right wing of each specimen was removed, imaged microscopically, and digitized using 17 landmarks. Wing shape variation among genera and species was analyzed using canonical variate analysis (CVA), while discriminant function analysis was used to cross-validate classification reliability based on Mahalanobis distances. Phenetic relationships were constructed to illustrate the discrimination patterns for genera and species. CVA of the morphological variation among Aedes, Anopheles, Armigeres, Culex, and Mansonia mosquito genera revealed five clusters. In particular, we demonstrated a high percentage of correctly-distinguished samples among Aedes (97.48%), Armigeres (96.15%), Culex (90.07%), and Mansonia (91.67%), but not Anopheles (64.54%). Together, these findings suggest that wing landmark-based GM analysis is an efficient method for identifying mosquito species, particularly among the Aedes, Armigeres, Culex, and Mansonia genera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danita Champakaew
- School of Public Health, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand and Excellent Center for Dengue and Community Public Health (EC for DACH), Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
- * E-mail:
| | - Anuluck Junkum
- Department of Parasitology, Center of Insect Vector Study, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Narin Sontigun
- Akkhraratchakumari Veterinary College, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
| | - Sangob Sanit
- Department of Parasitology, Center of Insect Vector Study, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Kwankamol Limsopatham
- Department of Parasitology, Center of Insect Vector Study, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Atiporn Saeung
- Department of Parasitology, Center of Insect Vector Study, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Pradya Somboon
- Department of Parasitology, Center of Insect Vector Study, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Benjawan Pitasawat
- Department of Parasitology, Center of Insect Vector Study, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Landmark Data to Distinguish and Identify Morphologically Close Tabanus spp. (Diptera: Tabanidae). INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12110974. [PMID: 34821775 PMCID: PMC8622361 DOI: 10.3390/insects12110974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Tabanus spp., also known as horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae), are important vectors of several animal pathogens. Adult females of Tabanus megalops and Tabanus striatus, which are members of the T. striatus complex, are morphologically similar and hence difficult to distinguish using morphological characteristics. In addition, molecular identification by DNA barcoding is also unable to distinguish these species. These two species can occur sympatrically with Tabanus rubidus, which is morphologically similar to T. megalops and T. striatus. Wing geometric morphometrics has been widely used in various insects to distinguish morphologically similar species. This study explored the effectiveness of landmark-based geometrics at distinguishing and identifying T. megalops, T. rubidus, and T. striatus in Thailand. Specimens were collected from different geographical regions of Thailand, and only unambiguously identified specimens were used for geometric morphometric analyses. Left wings of females of T. megalops (n = 160), T. rubidus (n = 165), and T. striatus (n = 85) were photographed, and 22 wing landmarks were used for the analysis. Wing shape was able to distinguish among species with high accuracy scores, ranging from 94.38% to 99.39%. We showed that morphologically very close species of Tabanus can be reliably distinguished by the geometry of their wing venation, and we showed how our experimental material could be used as a reference to tentatively identify new field collected specimens.
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Limsopatham K, Klong-klaew T, Fufuang N, Sanit S, Sukontason KL, Sukontason K, Somboon P, Sontigun N. Wing morphometrics of medically and forensically important muscid flies (Diptera: Muscidae). Acta Trop 2021; 222:106062. [PMID: 34289390 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Many muscid flies (Diptera: Muscidae) are well-known as medical, veterinary, and forensically significant insects, thus correct species identification is critically important before applying for fly control and determining a minimal postmortem interval (PMImin) in forensic investigations. Limited in taxonomic keys and taxonomists, as well as scanty in advanced molecular laboratories lead to difficulty in identification of muscids. To date, a landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis of wings has proven to be a promising alternative technique for identifying many insect species. Herein, we assessed wing morphometric analysis for identification of six medically and forensically important muscids, namely Musca domestica Linnaeus, Musca pattoni Austen, Musca ventrosa Wiedemann, Hydrotaea chalcogaster (Wiedemann), Hydrotaea spinigera Stein, and Dichaetomyia quadrata (Wiedemann). A total of 302 right wing images were digitized based on 15 homologous landmarks and wing shape variation among genera and species was analyzed using canonical variate analysis, whereas sexual shape dimorphism of M. domestica, M. ventrosa, and D. quadrata was analyzed using discriminant function analysis. The cross-validation revealed a relatively high percentage of correct classification in most species, ranging from 86.4% to 100%, except for M. pattoni, being 67.5%. Misidentifications were mainly due to cross-pairings of the genus Musca; M. domestica VS M. pattoni VS M. ventrosa. The accuracy of classification using cross-validation test demonstrated that wing shape can be used to evaluate muscid flies at the genus- and species-level, and separate sexes of the three species analyzed, with a high reliability. This study sheds light on genus, species, and sex discrimination of six muscid species that have been approached using wing morphometric analysis.
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24
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Thanou E, Kypraios-Skrekas V, Kornilios P, Giokas S. Ecomorphological divergence and lack of gene flow in two sympatric Balkan slow worms (Squamata: Anguidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The slow-worm lizards of the genus Anguis show significant morphological, behavioural and ecological uniformity owing to their limbless, elongated bodies and semifossorial lifestyle. This makes the delimitation of species challenging. Five monophyletic, deeply divergent and mostly parapatric mitochondrial lineages are currently recognized, although hybridization occurs along contact zones. In the southern edge of the range of the genus, two endemic Balkan Anguis (Anguis graeca and Anguis cephallonica) share a broad area of co-distribution and intermediate morphological characteristics. Expecting to retrieve hybrids within the overlap in their distributions, we used genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms but did not recover any evidence of interspecific gene flow. Within each species, genomic data revealed shallow population structuring influenced by spatial isolation, with the exception of the southernmost population of A. cephallonica from the Mani Peninsula. Species distribution modelling showed a lack of strong niche overlap and specific environmental preferences; both species showed a precipitation dependence, but A. cephallonica was better acclimatized to high temperatures. Finally, geometric morphometrics of the head shape suggested morphological divergence, mostly seen in the elongation of the head of A. cephallonica. All the evidence supports a long and complete reproductive isolation between the two southern slow worms and raises questions about how ecomorphological divergence might have acted to promote their speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evanthia Thanou
- Section of Animal Biology, Department of Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of Patras, GR-26500 Patras, Greece
- The Molecular Ecology Backshop, Panagiotis Kornilios, Evanthia Thanou, G. Lekka 16,GR-20300 Loutraki, Greece
| | - Vassilis Kypraios-Skrekas
- Section of Animal Biology, Department of Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of Patras, GR-26500 Patras, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Kornilios
- Section of Animal Biology, Department of Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of Patras, GR-26500 Patras, Greece
- The Molecular Ecology Backshop, Panagiotis Kornilios, Evanthia Thanou, G. Lekka 16,GR-20300 Loutraki, Greece
| | - Sinos Giokas
- Section of Animal Biology, Department of Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of Patras, GR-26500 Patras, Greece
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25
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Goh JY, Khang TF. On the classification of simple and complex biological images using Krawtchouk moments and Generalized pseudo-Zernike moments: a case study with fly wing images and breast cancer mammograms. PeerJ Comput Sci 2021; 7:e698. [PMID: 34604523 PMCID: PMC8444072 DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In image analysis, orthogonal moments are useful mathematical transformations for creating new features from digital images. Moreover, orthogonal moment invariants produce image features that are resistant to translation, rotation, and scaling operations. Here, we show the result of a case study in biological image analysis to help researchers judge the potential efficacy of image features derived from orthogonal moments in a machine learning context. In taxonomic classification of forensically important flies from the Sarcophagidae and the Calliphoridae family (n = 74), we found the GUIDE random forests model was able to completely classify samples from 15 different species correctly based on Krawtchouk moment invariant features generated from fly wing images, with zero out-of-bag error probability. For the more challenging problem of classifying breast masses based solely on digital mammograms from the CBIS-DDSM database (n = 1,151), we found that image features generated from the Generalized pseudo-Zernike moments and the Krawtchouk moments only enabled the GUIDE kernel model to achieve modest classification performance. However, using the predicted probability of malignancy from GUIDE as a feature together with five expert features resulted in a reasonably good model that has mean sensitivity of 85%, mean specificity of 61%, and mean accuracy of 70%. We conclude that orthogonal moments have high potential as informative image features in taxonomic classification problems where the patterns of biological variations are not overly complex. For more complicated and heterogeneous patterns of biological variations such as those present in medical images, relying on orthogonal moments alone to reach strong classification performance is unrealistic, but integrating prediction result using them with carefully selected expert features may still produce reasonably good prediction models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Yin Goh
- Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Tsung Fei Khang
- Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Universiti Malaya Centre for Data Analytics, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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26
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Bator J, Marshall DC, Hill KBR, Cooley JR, Leston A, Simon C. Phylogeography of the endemic red-tailed cicadas of New Zealand (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Rhodopsalta), and molecular, morphological and bioacoustical confirmation of the existence of Hudson’s Rhodopsalta microdora. Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Why do some genera radiate, whereas others do not? The genetic structure of present-day populations can provide clues for developing hypotheses. In New Zealand, three Cicadidae genera are depauperate [Amphipsalta (three species), Notopsalta (one species) and Rhodopsalta (three species)], whereas two have speciated extensively [Kikihia (~30 species/subspecies) and Maoricicada (~20 species/subspecies). Here, we examine the evolution of Rhodopsalta, the last New Zealand genus to be studied phylogenetically and phylogeographically. We use Bayesian and maximum-likelihood analyses of mitochondrial cox1 and nuclear EF1α gene sequences. Concatenated and single-gene phylogenies for 70 specimens (58 localities) support its monophyly and three described species: Rhodopsalta cruentata, Rhodopsalta leptomera and Rhodopsalta microdora, the last taxon previously regarded as uncertain. We provide distribution maps, biological notes and the first descriptions of diagnostic songs. We show that both R. cruentata and R. microdora exhibit northern and southern genetic subclades. Subclades of the dry-adapted R. microdora clade show geographical structure, whereas those of the mesic R. cruentata and sand-dune specialist R. leptomera have few discernible patterns. Genetic, bioacoustical and detailed distributional evidence for R. microdora add to the known biodiversity of New Zealand. We designate a lectotype for Tettigonia cruentata Fabricius, 1775, the type species of Rhodopsalta.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Bator
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA
| | - David C Marshall
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA
| | - Kathy B R Hill
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA
| | - John R Cooley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, 10 South Prospect Street, Hartford, CT 06103, USA
| | - Adam Leston
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA
| | - Chris Simon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA
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27
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Getachew D, Matsumoto A, Uchimura Y, Udagawa J, Mita N, Ogawa N, Moriyama S, Takami A, Otani H. Global pattern of interkinetic nuclear migration in tracheoesophageal epithelia of the mouse embryo: Interorgan and intraorgan regional differences. Congenit Anom (Kyoto) 2021; 61:82-96. [PMID: 33249638 DOI: 10.1111/cga.12405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Interkinetic nuclear migration (INM) is an apicobasal (AB) polarity-based regulatory mechanism of proliferation/differentiation in epithelial stem/progenitor cells. We previously documented INM in the endoderm-derived tracheal/esophageal epithelia at embryonic day (E) 11.5 and suggested that INM is involved in the development of both organs. We here investigated interorgan (trachea vs esophagus) and intraorgan regional (ventral vs dorsal) differences in the INM mode in the tracheal and esophageal epithelia of the mouse embryo. We also analyzed convergent extension (CE) and planar cell movement (PCM) in the epithelia based on cell distribution. The pregnant C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally injected with 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine at E11.5 and E12.5 and were sacrificed 1, 4, 6, 8, and 12 hours later to obtain the embryos. The distribution of labeled cell nuclei along the AB axis was chronologically analyzed in the total, ventral, and dorsal sides of the epithelia. The percentage distribution of the nuclei population was represented by histogram and the chronological change was analyzed statistically using multidimensional scaling. The interorgan comparison of the INM mode during E11.5-E12.0, but not E12.5-E13.0, showed a significant difference. During E11.5-E12.0 the trachea, but not the esophagus, showed a significant difference between ventral and dorsal sides. During E12.5-E13.0 neither organ showed regional differences. CE appeared to occur in both organs during E11.5-E12.0 while PCM was unclear in both organs. These findings suggest a difference between the trachea and esophagus, and a regional difference in the trachea, not in the esophagus, in the INM mode, which may be related with the later differential organogenesis/histogenesis of these organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dereje Getachew
- Department of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan
| | - Akihiro Matsumoto
- Department of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Uchimura
- Department of Anatomy, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan
| | - Jun Udagawa
- Department of Anatomy, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan
| | - Nanako Mita
- Department of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan
| | - Noriko Ogawa
- Department of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan
| | - Shigeru Moriyama
- Department of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan
| | - Akiyasu Takami
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Matsue College, Matsue, Japan
| | - Hiroki Otani
- Department of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan
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28
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Nigoghosian G, Weidner LM, Stamper TI. Technical note: A technique to mount Sarcophagidae and Calliphoridae (Diptera) larvae for forensic identification using geometric morphometrics. Forensic Sci Int Synerg 2021; 3:100135. [PMID: 33796848 PMCID: PMC7995481 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2021.100135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Geometric morphometric analyses use landmark coordinates from images of specific areas on specimens. Therefore, to minimize differences arising from human preparation, preparation of the specimen is crucial. The application of geometric morphometrics has been used in entomology for identifying adult dipteran species, however, applying this technique to larval specimens requires the production of standard protocols which would allow specimens to be compared equally. This proposed protocol consists of a two-step process: 1. using 15% potassium hydroxide (KOH) to clear the specimen, followed by rinsing the specimen with 80% ethanol; 2. removal and spreading of the mouthhooks on a slide for imaging and analysis. The goal of this work is to standardize specimen preparation, which would reduce human error and facilitate use of geometric morphometrics to identify dipteran larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Nigoghosian
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Lauren M Weidner
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Trevor I Stamper
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
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29
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Khang TF, Mohd Puaad NAD, Teh SH, Mohamed Z. Random forests for predicting species identity of forensically important blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) using geometric morphometric data: Proof of concept. J Forensic Sci 2021; 66:960-970. [PMID: 33438785 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Wing shape variation has been shown to be useful for delineating forensically important fly species in two Diptera families: Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae. Compared to DNA-based identification, the cost of geometric morphometric data acquisition and analysis is relatively much lower because the tools required are basic, and stable softwares are available. However, to date, an explicit demonstration of using wing geometric morphometric data for species identity prediction in these two families remains lacking. Here, geometric morphometric data from 19 homologous landmarks on the left wing of males from seven species of Calliphoridae (n = 55), and eight species of Sarcophagidae (n = 40) were obtained and processed using Generalized Procrustes Analysis. Allometric effect was removed by regressing centroid size (in log10 ) against the Procrustes coordinates. Subsequently, principal component analysis of the allometry-adjusted Procrustes variables was done, with the first 15 principal components used to train a random forests model for species prediction. Using a real test sample consisting of 33 male fly specimens collected around a human corpse at a crime scene, the estimated percentage of concordance between species identities predicted using the random forests model and those inferred using DNA-based identification was about 80.6% (approximate 95% confidence interval = [68.9%, 92.2%]). In contrast, baseline concordance using naive majority class prediction was 36.4%. The results provide proof of concept that geometric morphometric data has good potential to complement morphological and DNA-based identification of blow flies and flesh flies in forensic work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung Fei Khang
- Institute of Mathematical Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,University of Malaya Centre for Data Analytics, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | | | - Zulqarnain Mohamed
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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30
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de Souza ALDS, Multini LC, Marrelli MT, Wilke ABB. Wing geometric morphometrics for identification of mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) of neglected epidemiological importance. Acta Trop 2020; 211:105593. [PMID: 32569588 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Culicidae comprises more than 3500 species, some of which are responsible for the spread of various human diseases, causing millions of deaths worldwide. Correct identification of these species is essential for the development of surveillance and control strategies. The most common method of mosquito identification is based on specific traits of the external morphology of species. However, identification of mosquitoes by morphological characters can be inaccurate or even unfeasible if the specimen is damaged or there is a lack of distinguishing features, as in the case of cryptic species complexes. Wing geometric morphometrics is a reliable, affordable tool for the identification of mosquito species, including sibling species. More importantly, it can be used in addition to both traditional morphologic identification methods as well as genetic approaches. Here, wing geometric morphometrics was used to identify sixteen mosquito species from eight genera: Aedes, Coquillettidia, Culex, Limatus, Mansonia, Psorophora, Runchomyia, and Wyeomyia. The 390 specimens used here were collected in São Paulo, Brazil using CDC traps, aspiration, and Shannon traps. Allometry was assessed by multivariate regression of the Procrustes coordinates on centroid size followed by canonical variate analysis and a pairwise cross-validated reclassification test. A Neighbor-Joining tree based on Mahalanobis distances was constructed with 1,000 bootstrap replicates using MorphoJ 1.02 and Past 2.17c. The canonical variate analysis of genera resulted in distinct clusters for Culex, Limatus, and Psorophora and partial overlapping between Aedes, Coquilettidia, and Mansonia, and between Runchomyia and Wyeomyia. Pairwise cross-validated reclassification tests indicated that genera were identified with an accuracy of at least 99% and subgenera with a mean accuracy of 96% and that in 160 of the 240 possible comparisons species were identified with an accuracy of 100%. Our results show that the eight genera in the study were correctly distinguished by wing shape, as were subgenera and most species, demonstrating that wing geometric morphometrics can be used for the identification of the mosquito species studied here.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Cristina Multini
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mauro Toledo Marrelli
- Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - André Barretto Bruno Wilke
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1120 Northwest 14th Street, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
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Molecular and morphometric divergence of four species of butterflies (Nymphalidae and Pieridae) from the Western Himalaya, India. Mol Biol Rep 2020; 47:8687-8699. [PMID: 33070284 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05913-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Morphometric and molecular divergence among four butterfly species of the families Nymphalidae and Pieridae from the western Himalaya region were investigated using molecular tools, traditional morphometric measures and a truss network system. The considered species were Danaus chrysippus, Vanessa cardui, Pieris brassicae and Pieris canidia. Traditional taxonomy is sometimes unable to discriminate cryptic species or species that have close morphological features. Although taxonomists carefully examine external body features to differentiate the species; however, there is a risk for misidentification during a visual assessment of cryptic species. Therefore, we aimed to use the truss network system of 14 morphological landmarks interconnected to yield 90 variables about molecular taxonomy. Principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant function analysis (DFA) and cluster analysis (CA) were employed to determine morphometric variations. In the traditional analysis, 79, 68, 16 and 5 characters out of 90 were found significant (p < 0.05) for D. chrysippus, V. cardui, P. brassicae and P. canidia, respectively. One to seven principal components were extracted through PCA; they explained 87.5-100% of the total variance in samples. Notably, DFA correctly classified 100% of the original grouped cases and 100% of the cross-validated grouped cases. However, the variations were not the same for the two different methods (truss and traditional) employed for the analysis. We correctly identified all the species; the interspecies sequence divergence was between 0.1034 and 0.1398, and the intra-species sequence divergence range was 0.0001 to 0.0128 using the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit-I (COI) gene. The present study provides useful information about the application and complementary role of traditional with truss morphometric analysis for the precise identification and classification of the selected species.
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32
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Changbunjong T, Ruangsittichai J, Duvallet G, Pont AC. Molecular Identification and Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Haematobosca aberrans (Diptera: Muscidae). INSECTS 2020; 11:E451. [PMID: 32708722 PMCID: PMC7412132 DOI: 10.3390/insects11070451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The genus Haematobosca Bezzi, 1907 (Diptera: Muscidae) contains haematophagous flies of veterinary importance. A new fly species of this genus was recognised from northern Thailand based on morphological characters and described as Haematobosca aberrans Pont, Duvallet & Changbunjong, 2020. In the present study, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene was used to confirm the morphological identification of H. aberrans. In addition, landmark-based geometric morphometrics was used to determine sexual dimorphism. The molecular analysis was conducted with 10 COI sequences. The results showed that all sequences were 100% identical. The sequence was not highly similar to reference sequences from GenBank and did not match any identified species from Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD). Phylogenetic analysis clearly differentiated this species from other species within the subfamily Stomoxyinae. For geometric morphometric analysis, a total of 16 wing pictures were analysed using the landmark-based approach. The results showed significant differences in wing shape between males and females, with a cross-validated classification score of 100%. The allometric analysis showed that wing shape has no correlation with size. Therefore, the COI gene is effective in species identification of H. aberrans, and geometric morphometrics is also effective in determining sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanasak Changbunjong
- Department of Pre-clinic and Applied Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
- The Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals (MoZWE), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
| | - Jiraporn Ruangsittichai
- Department of Medical Entomology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Gerard Duvallet
- UMR5175 CEFE, Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Université Paul-Valéry, 34090 Montpellier, France;
| | - Adrian C. Pont
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PW, UK;
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López-García J, Angell C, Martín-Vega D. Wing morphometrics for the identification of Nearctic and Palaearctic Piophilidae (Diptera) of forensic relevance. Forensic Sci Int 2020; 309:110192. [PMID: 32113176 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The Piophilidae (Diptera) are a family comprising about 80 species, several of them of high economic and forensic relevance. An unequivocal species identification is crucial for designing effective control measures or to provide reliable estimations of the minimum post mortem interval. However, the identification may sometimes not be possible, either because the diagnostic morphological characters are not easily observable or very fragile, or because of a poor DNA quality and/or unavailability of reference molecular signatures. In the recent years, the use of wing morphometric techniques has emerged as a powerful tool for the identification of different families of forensically important Diptera. The present study applies, for the first time, this technique to the identification of 11 Piophilidae species of forensic relevance in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions, as well as to the discrimination of sexes, distinct geographical populations and, in the case of the dimorphic species Prochyliza nigrimana (Meigen), seasonal morphs. Wing shape variation was analysed using 14 landmarks located at wing vein junctions and a cross-variation analysis was used to test the reliability of identifications. The present results demonstrate that wing shape can be used to identify most species with relatively high success, whereas cross-validation analyses indicated that discrimination between sexes, populations or morphs was less effective, even if significant differences were observed in every comparison. We conclude that wing morphometrics can be a powerful identification tool that might be used in combination with other methods in order to achieve accurate and reliable species identifications-independently of the sex, geographic origin or colour variation of the samples-even with those piophilid species that have been object of frequent misidentifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime López-García
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Christopher Angell
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie-Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Daniel Martín-Vega
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales, 28801, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
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Sim LX, Zuha RM. Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) development by landmark-based geometric morphometrics of cephalopharyngeal skeleton: a preliminary assessment for forensic entomology application. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1186/s41935-019-0158-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Considering the practicality of geometric morphometrics which could discriminate insect species, this application was extended to the analysis of blow fly larval growth based on cephalopharyngeal skeleton. In forensic entomology, cephalopharyngeal skeleton plays a crucial role in species identification but the morphometric information of this part is scarce. In this study, Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) was reared in two study replicates in natural conditions and samplings were conducted at fixed daily intervals. Cephalopharyngeal skeletons were removed from larvae and mounted on glass slides. Images were obtained from the specimens; digitized and geometric morphometric analysis on C. megacephala cephalopharyngeal skeletons was performed with MorphoJ software based on the ordination of five landmarks. The assessments of this analysis were based on centroid size measurements, visualization on the landmarks displacements, classification of the relative landmarks by using canonical variate analysis, and ontogenetic allometry determination.
Findings
Centroid size was strongly correlated with developmental time (p < 0.05) and significantly different between daily intervals (p < 0.05). Ontogenetic allometric effect based on multivariate regression on Procrustes coordinates and centroid size was significant (p < 0.0001), indicating that shape was influenced by growth (60.3%). Disposition occurred on all landmarks during development and was further discriminated based on age groups.
Conclusions
Other than discriminating between species, geometric morphometrics was found to be practical to visualize larval growth based on cephalopharyngeal skeletons which can be useful in forensic entomology.
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Chaiphongpachara T, Laojun S. Effectiveness of landmark- and semi-landmark-based geometric morphometric to identify four species of Culex mosquitoes in Thailand. J Adv Vet Anim Res 2019; 6:278-283. [PMID: 31583223 PMCID: PMC6760499 DOI: 10.5455/javar.2019.f345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: This research aims to study the effectiveness of landmark- and semi-landmark-based geometric morphometric (LMSL) in the identification of four Culex vectors, namely, C. quinquefasciatus, C. visnui, C. sitiens, and C. whitmorei in Thailand and also compared the potential between LMSL and the landmark-based geometric morphometric method (LM). Materials and Methods: The overall size of the wing sample was estimated by the centroid size. Shape variables were computed as principal components of the “partial warp” calculated after generalized procrustes analysis of raw coordinates. Discriminant analysis of the canonical variables performed to explore the shape dissimilarity between Culex species has been shown as a factor map and to calculate the Mahalanobis distance. Size and shape differences based on pairwise Mahalanobis distances were tested using non-parametric methods (1,000 cycles) with Bonferroni correction at a p-value of <0.05. Results: A total of 120 individuals were used that were divided into 30 individuals per Culex species. The mean CS of C. sitiens had the largest wings followed by C. visnui, C. quinquefasciatus, and C. whitmorei in LM and LMSM. The patterns of statistical difference in CS of both methods were similar and wing shapes among Culex species were different based on a comparison of pairwise Mahalanobis distances (p < 0.05) in both methods. For the cross-validated reclassification test, LM provided Culex species separation ranging from 54% to 84% and 51% to 93% for LMSM. Conclusion: Thus, LMSM is another option to use for the identification in mosquito vectors that have a curved line on the wing specific to the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanawat Chaiphongpachara
- Department of Public Health and Health Promotion, College of Allied Health Science, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sedthapong Laojun
- Bachelor of Public Health, College of Allied Health Sciences, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Samut Songkhram, Thailand
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Zhang Y, Wang Y, Sun J, Hu G, Wang M, Amendt J, Wang J. Temperature-dependent development of the blow fly Chrysomya pinguis and its significance in estimating postmortem interval. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190003. [PMID: 31598276 PMCID: PMC6774990 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Chrysomya pinguis (Walker) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is an endemic Asiatic blow fly species of forensic importance. Chrysomya pinguis is one of the first species to colonize a corpse, especially in high altitude areas during spring and autumn when the ambient temperature is lower. Despite its potential for forensic investigations to estimate the minimum postmortem interval (PMImin), little is known about the development of C. pinguis. In this study, C. pinguis was collected from the Yangtze River Delta region of China and reared at seven constant temperatures between 16°C and 34°C to investigate the effect of temperature on development duration, accumulated degree hours and larval body length of C. pinguis. Isomorphen and isomegalen diagrams for C. pinguis were generated using the results, and equations describing the variation in larval body length during development and the temperature-induced variation in development time were also obtained. Chrysomya pinguis can complete its life cycle at 16-34°C. The mean (±s.d.) developmental durations of C. pinguis from egg to adult at 16°C, 19°C, 22°C, 25°C, 28°C, 31°C and 34°C were 811.0 ± 3.8, 544.8 ± 2.0, 379.8 ± 1.8, 306.7 ± 2.4, 250.0 ± 2.8, 203.2 ± 2.1 and 185.3 ± 1.6 h, respectively. The mean (±s.e.) developmental threshold temperature D0 and the thermal summation constant K of the whole developmental process of C. pinguis were estimated as 10.88 ± 0.21°C and 4256.50 ± 104.50 degree hours, respectively. This study provides fundamental development data for the use of C. pinguis to estimate PMImin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingna Zhang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou 215000, People's Republic of China
- Department of Anatomy, Shihezi University, Beisi Road, Shihezi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou 215000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Sun
- Criminal Police Branch, Wuxi Public Security Bureau, Qianhu Road, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Guoliang Hu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou 215000, People's Republic of China
| | - Man Wang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou 215000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jens Amendt
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Frankfurt, Kennedyallee, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Jiangfeng Wang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou 215000, People's Republic of China
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37
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Baur J, Giesen A, Rohner PT, Blanckenhorn WU, Schäfer MA. Exaggerated male forelegs are not more differentiated than wing morphology in two widespread sister species of black scavenger flies. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julian Baur
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Athene Giesen
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Patrick T. Rohner
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Wolf U. Blanckenhorn
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Martin A. Schäfer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
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Bourne DR, Kyle CJ, LeBlanc HN, Beresford D. Technical note: A rapid, non-invasive method for measuring live or preserved insect specimens using digital image analysis. Forensic Sci Int Synerg 2019; 1:140-145. [PMID: 32411966 PMCID: PMC7219176 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The measurement of insects is an important component of many entomological applications, including forensic evidence, where larvae size is used as a proxy for developmental stage, and hence time since colonization/death. Current methods for measuring insects are confounded by varying preservation techniques, biased and non-standardized measurements, and often a lack of sample size given practical constraints. Towards enhanced accuracy and precision in measuring live insects to help avoid these variables, and that allows for different measurements to be analyzed, we developed a non-invasive, digital method using widely available free analytical software to measure live blow fly larvae. Using crime scene photographic equipment currently standard in investigation protocols, we measured the live length of 282 Phormia regina larvae. Repeated measurements of maggots, for all instars, were performed for several orientations and images. Most accurate measurements were obtained when maggots were oriented in their natural full extension. Killed specimens resulted in greater length measurements (Mean 1.79 ± 1.11 mm) when compared to live length. Herein, we report a technically simple, fast, and accurate measurement technique adapted for field and lab-based measurements, as well as, a simple linear equation for conversion of live length to standard killed length measurements. We propose this method be utilized for the standardization of forensic entomological evidence collection and development model creation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald R Bourne
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher J Kyle
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.,Forensic Science Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Helene N LeBlanc
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Science - Forensic Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Beresford
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.,Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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Wing measurement can be used to identify European blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of forensic importance. Forensic Sci Int 2019; 296:1-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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A bibliometric analysis of forensic entomology trends and perspectives worldwide over the last two decades (1998–2017). Forensic Sci Int 2019; 295:72-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Sontigun N, Samerjai C, Sukontason K, Wannasan A, Amendt J, Tomberlin JK, Sukontason KL. Wing morphometric analysis of forensically important flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) in Thailand. Acta Trop 2019; 190:312-319. [PMID: 30529446 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Flesh flies are insects of forensic importance as the larvae associated with human remains can be used to estimate a minimum post-mortem interval (PMImin) in most cases. And, because life-history traits can vary across species, correct identification is a mandatory step before being used as evidence. Adult flesh flies are extremely similar in general appearance, which causes difficulty in species identification as it is largely based on the morphology of the male genitalia; this also makes it difficult to identify females. Currently, landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis of insect wings has proven to be a valuable tool for species identification. Herein, we applied wing morphometric analysis of 524 flesh fly specimens comprising 12 species from Thailand. The right wing of each specimen was removed, mounted on a microscope slide, photographed, and digitized using 18 landmarks. Wing shape variation among genera and species were analyzed using canonical variate analysis, while wing shape variation between sexes of each species was analyzed using discriminant function analysis. A cross-validation test was used to evaluate the reliability of classification. Results of this study demonstrate wing shape can be used to separate genera and species, and distinguish between sexes of the same species, with high reliability. Therefore, the landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis of wings is a useful additional method for species and sex discrimination of flesh flies.
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A molecular, morphological, and physiological comparison of English and German populations of Calliphora vicina (Diptera: Calliphoridae). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207188. [PMID: 30507944 PMCID: PMC6277095 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The bluebottle blow fly Calliphora vicina is a common species distributed throughout Europe that can play an important role as forensic evidence in crime investigations. Developmental rates of C. vicina from distinct populations from Germany and England were compared under different temperature regimes to explore the use of growth data from different geographical regions for local case work. Wing morphometrics and molecular analysis between these populations were also studied as indicators for biological differences. One colony each of German and English C. vicina were cultured at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Frankfurt, Germany. Three different temperature regimes were applied, two constant (16°C & 25°C) and one variable (17–26°C, room temperature = RT). At seven time points (600, 850, 1200, 1450, 1800, 2050, and 2400 accumulated degree hours), larval lengths were measured; additionally, the durations of the post feeding stage and intrapuparial metamorphosis were recorded. For the morphometric and molecular study, 184 females and 133 males from each C. vicina population (Germany n = 3, England n = 4) were sampled. Right wings were measured based on 19 landmarks and analyzed using canonical variates analysis and discriminant function analysis. DNA was isolated from three legs per specimen (n = 61) using 5% chelex. A 784 bp long fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was sequenced; sequences were aligned and phylogenetically analyzed. Similar larval growth rates of C. vicina were found from different geographic populations at different temperatures during the major part of development. Nevertheless, because minor differences were found a wider range of temperatures and sampling more time points should be analyzed to obtain more information relevant for forensic case work. Wing shape variation showed a difference between the German and English populations (P<0.0001). However, separation between the seven German and English populations at the smaller geographic scale remained ambiguous. Molecular phylogenetic analysis by maximum likelihood method could not unambiguously separate the different geographic populations at a national (Germany vs England) or local level.
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Chaiphongpachara T. Comparison of Landmark- and Outline-Based Geometric Morphometrics for Discriminating Mosquito Vectors in Ratchaburi Province, Thailand. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:6170502. [PMID: 30533435 PMCID: PMC6247772 DOI: 10.1155/2018/6170502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
It is often challenging to identify mosquito vectors in the field based on morphological features due to their similar morphologies and difficulties in obtaining undamaged samples but is required for their successful control. Geometric morphometrics (GM) overcomes this issue by analyzing a suite of traits simultaneously and has the added advantages of being easy to use, low cost, and quick. Therefore, this research compared the efficiency and precision of landmark- and outline-based GM techniques for separating species of mosquitoes in Huay Nam Nak village, Ratchaburi Province, Thailand. This research collected 273 individuals belonging to seven species: Anopheles barbirostris, An. subpictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. vishnui, Cx. whitmorei, Aedes aegypti, and Ae. albopictus. Both landmark-based and outline-based GM techniques could identify malaria vectors in this area to the genus level successfully and were also very effective for identifying the malaria vectors Anopheles spp. and the dengue vectors Aedes spp. to the species level. However, they were less effective for distinguishing between species of Culex. Therefore, GM represents a valuable tool for the identification of mosquito vectors in the field, which will facilitate their successful control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanawat Chaiphongpachara
- College of Allied Health Science, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Samut Songkhram 75000, Thailand
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Lutz L, Williams KA, Villet MH, Ekanem M, Szpila K. Species identification of adult African blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of forensic importance. Int J Legal Med 2018; 132:831-842. [PMID: 28849264 PMCID: PMC5919996 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-017-1654-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Necrophagous blowflies can provide an excellent source of evidence for forensic entomologists and are also relevant to problems in public health, medicine, and animal health. However, access to useful information about these blowflies is constrained by the need to correctly identify the flies, and the poor availability of reliable, accessible identification tools is a serious obstacle to the development of forensic entomology in the majority of African countries. In response to this need, a high-quality key to the adults of all species of forensically relevant blowflies of Africa has been prepared, drawing on high-quality entomological materials and modern focus-stacking photomicroscopy. This new key can be easily applied by investigators inexperienced in the taxonomy of blowflies and is made available through a highly accessible online platform. Problematic diagnostic characters used in previous keys are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Lutz
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Kennedyallee 104, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Kirstin A. Williams
- Entomology Department, Durban Natural Science Museum, Durban, South Africa
- Southern African Forensic Entomology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Martin H. Villet
- Southern African Forensic Entomology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Mfon Ekanem
- Department of Zoology, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria
| | - Krzysztof Szpila
- Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
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