Next Article in Journal
A Taxonomic Revision of the Weevil Genus Hypoglyptus Gerstaecker, 1855 (Coleoptera Curculionidae)
Previous Article in Journal
Unrolling the Systematics of a Southeastern Pacific Chiton
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Taxonomy
Volume 4
Issue 4
10.3390/taxonomy4040046
taxonomy-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

DNA Barcoding of Tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) from Veracruz, Mexico, with Notes on Morphology and Taxonomy

by
Julia J. Alavez-Chávez
1,
Ana C. Montes de Oca-Aguilar
2,*,
Sokani Sánchez-Montes
3,4,
Sergio Ibáñez-Bernal
5,
Herón Huerta-Jiménez
6,
Dora Romero-Salas
1,
Anabel Cruz-Romero
1 and
Mariel Aguilar-Domínguez
1,*
1
Laboratorio de Parasitología, Rancho “Torreón del Molino”, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz 91710, Mexico
2
Laboratorio de Inmunología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales “Dr. Hideyo Noguchi”, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida 97000, Mexico
3
Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias Región Tuxpan, Universidad Veracruzana, Carretera Tuxpan Tampico Kilómetro 7.5, Universitaria, Tuxpan de Rodríguez Cano 92870, Mexico
4
Centro de Medicina Tropical, División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
5
Red de Ambiente y Sustentabilidad, Instituto de Ecología, AC (INECOL), Xalapa 91073, Mexico
6
Laboratorio de Entomología Médica, Instituto de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos, Mexico City 01480, Mexico
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Taxonomy 2024, 4(4), 862-880; https://doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy4040046
Submission received: 1 October 2024 / Revised: 26 November 2024 / Accepted: 6 December 2024 / Published: 10 December 2024
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

:
(1) Background: Tabanids are one of the most neglected and difficult-to-identify groups within the order Diptera despite their medical–veterinary importance. Since 2010, DNA barcoding has proved to be a promising method for the identification of horseflies in the Old World, but until now it had explored little with regards to Neotropical species. In Mexico, faunal studies continue to be focused on certain regions of the country, which has limited the generation of taxonomic keys. Here, we employed the DNA barcoding approach to contribute to the knowledge of horsefly species in one of the least explored biogeographic provinces in Mexico, the state of Veracruz. (2) Methods: Tabanids were collected at two localities using Malaise traps during two seasons. With a sampling effort of 300 h per trap per site, a total of 22 specimens were collected and identified using taxonomic keys and partial amplification and sequencing of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI). (3) Results: Five species of the Tabanus genus were identified through taxonomic keys, and three of these species were confirmed through molecular analyses: T. oculus, T. commixtus, and T. pungens. (4) Conclusions: This is the first contribution of the sequence data of the Tabanidae family for Mexico and demonstrates that DNA barcoding is a vital tool for the recognition of Neotropical species.

1. Introduction

Horseflies and deer flies are the common names given to the haematophagous Diptera of the Tabanidae family (Tabanomorpha: Tabanoidea). These flies occur worldwide, and the Neotropical region harbors the greatest species richness, with 1210 valid species and subspecies, which represents almost 30% of the fauna in the world [1,2]. Currently, three subfamilies are recognized in the Neotropical region: Chrysopsinae, Pangoniinae, and Tabaninae [3]. Females are the only ones that feed on blood, and this behavior has given them great medical–veterinary relevance since an increase in their densities can result in a decrease in the weight of their blood hosts [4] and some species are associated with the mechanical and biological transmission of parasites (Trypanosoma Gruby, Loa loa Cobbold) and bacteria (Anaplasma Smith and Kilborne, Bacillus anthracis Cohn) [4,5].
Despite their vectoral status, Tabanidae are notoriously difficult to identify morphologically, and this may be one of the reasons this group has been one of the most neglected within the Diptera [6]. In the Neotropical region, of all the known species, many were described with only one specimen [7], and various aspects of its natural history remain unknown. In addition, several areas of the Neotropical region have not been explored in terms of their fauna, which further limits the generation and availability of taxonomic identification keys as well as the establishment of a real inventory of the species [3,8,9]. Nevertheless, morphological characteristics continue to be a fundamental part of the taxonomic recognition of a species. In the last 13 years, molecular techniques using standard mitochondrial markers have become a popular approach in the identification of tabanids, with special emphasis on the species of the Old World [10,11,12,13,14,15,16]. These studies have allowed the description of new species and the characterization of diversity [11,13,16]. However, until now, no study in the Neotropical region has explored the usefulness of this technique in describing the diversity of horse and deer flies.
In Mexico, about 214 species of tabanids distributed in 34 valid genera have been recorded [3,17]. However, it is possible that the taxonomic richness is greater, because faunal studies continue to be mainly restricted to certain areas of the Yucatan Peninsula and the state of Chiapas [9,18,19,20,21,22,23]. Veracruz, a province, constitutes one of the biogeographic provinces with the largest territorial extension and biological diversity in the country [24,25]. This is because it is found within the transition zone between the Nearctic and Neotropical regions, giving rise to a mosaic of natural ecosystems and about 18 types of vegetation [26,27,28]. However, faunal studies in this region are still scarce, and are limited to sporadic records with unpublished data on geographic location for most species. Currently, 37 species of Tabanidae have been documented for the state [29], which represents only 7% more than the species registered in the Yucatan Peninsula (22 species) [17,22], which also presents a smaller territorial extension and less variation in terms of ecosystems [30].
On the above basis, the aim of this study is to increase the state of knowledge about the diversity of species of the Tabanidae family in Mexico using a DNA barcoding approach while providing data on the morphology and taxonomy of the species. Specifically, we are contributing to the knowledge of the horse fly and deer fly fauna of the central region of Veracruz, Mexico.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Study Area

Adults of tabanids were collected at two localities of Veracruz. Site 1 ‘Sontecomapan’, Catemaco (18.518223, −95.036961) and site 2 ‘Los Candadillos’, Ignacio de la Llave (18.691275, −95.931925) (Figure 1). The annual precipitation in the state is 1500 mm (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía [INEGI], s.f) [31]. Sontecomapan is characterized by a dominance of high evergreen forest with a warm, humid climate; on this site, the main activities are agriculture, livestock, and poultry [32]. By contrast, Los Candadillos is characterized by subdeciduous forest with a warm, subhumid climate, and its main economic activity is agriculture and livestock [32].

2.2. Horsefly and Deerfly Collection and Morphological Identification

At each locality, samples were obtained in two periods of the year: April–May and July–August 2022. For the collection, five homemade Malaise traps were used, approximately 1.5 m high and 2 m long. Malaise traps were placed for three consecutive days from 7 am to 5 pm and distributed in a 100 × 50 m quadrant. The collected specimens were preserved in 70% ethanol and transported to the Parasitology laboratory of the Diagnostic Unit of the “Torreón del Molino” Ranch of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics of the Universidad Veracruzana. Then, specimens were transported to the Environment and Sustainability Network Institute of Ecology for taxonomic determination. Tabanids were examined under a Nikon SMZ-800N stereomicroscope and identified using the taxonomic keys proposed by Coscarón and Papavero [3], Fairchild [8] and Ibáñez-Bernal [9]. Some species were reviewed and compared with the reference material from the Collection of Arthropods with Medical Importance (CAIM) of the Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference, Ministry of Health, Mexico City.

2.3. Taxonomic Identification with COI

For molecular taxonomic identification, one leg of the first pair of legs was dissected from each specimen. We used the DNA extraction method with Chelex resin-100 sodium (Sigma® Burlington, Burlington, MA, USA) and followed the protocol described by Ballados-González et al. (2018) [33]. This protocol consists of adding 500 µL of 10% Chelex-100 solution to each sample, incubating the samples overnight at 56 °C and then centrifuging them at 14,000× g for 10 min. The supernatant with the genetic material was recovered in new tubes and frozen at −20 °C until use.
For molecular identification of the species, we amplified a 620 bp fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) using the primers LCO1490 (5′-GGTCAACAAATCATAAAGATATTGG-3′) and HCO2198 (5′TAAACTTCAGGGTGACCAAAAAATCA-3′) [34]. The amplification was performed as follows: 1 min at 95 °C followed by 35 cycles of 95 °C in 15 s, then 15 s at 57 °C and 1 min at 72 °C, ending with 7 min of elongation at 72 °C [35]. The reaction mixture was prepared in a final volume of 25 μL, using 12.5 μL of GoTaq Green Master Mix (Promega Corporation, Madison, WI, USA), 2 μL of primers (2 μM, 1 μL each), 8.5 μL nuclease-free water, and 500 ng DNA of each sample (2 μL). Negative (nuclease-free water) and positive (DNA of Rhipicephalus microplus) controls were included. PCR product purification was visualized on a 2% agarose gel stained with Smartglow, and positive amplicons were submitted for sequencing at Macrogen Inc., Seul, Republic of Korea.
Sequences were edited with Sequencher v.4.1.4 (Gene Codes Corp, Ann Arbor, MI, USA) and subsequently aligned in MEGA V.11.0.11 (Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis) [36]. To confirm the identity of the sequences, they were compared with sequences from GenBank NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) using the BLASTn tool (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) and BOLDSYSTEMS v3. The expected value, percentage identity, query coverage, and total score were considered.
Phylogenetic analysis was performed using the generated sequences. Additionally, the reference sequences were obtained from BOLDSYSTEMS and GenBank. Twenty-six sequences of Tabanidae species were used and showed high similarity to the generated sequences (Table 1). Prior to the phylogenetic analysis, the best nucleotide substitution model was estimated and selected in jModelTest v.2.1.6 [37], using the Akaike Information Criterion (AICc). Phylogenetic estimation was performed using the maximum likelihood (ML) approach in MEGA v6.0. Node support for the ML tree was estimated with 10,000 bootstrap replicates, and nodes were considered highly compatible when bootstrap values were >90% [38]. Additionality, in MEGA, mean genetic distances and pairwise divergence were estimated using the Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) distance model with 5000 bootstrap replicates.

3. Results

With a sampling effort of 300 h per trap per site, a total of 22 specimens were collected. All horseflies captured were female. The highest abundance was obtained from site 2 (17 specimens). Through identification with taxonomic keys, the presence of five species corresponding to the genus Tabanus was detected: eleven specimens of Tabanus commixtus Walker, 1860 [39]; four specimens Tabanus colombensis Macquart, 1846 [40]; one specimen of Tabanus pungens Wiedemann, 1828 [41]; two specimens of Tabanus occidentalis var dorsovittatus Macquart, 1855 [42], and three specimens Tabanus oculus Walker, 1848 [43].
Using DNA barcoding, 13 sequences of the collected specimens were generated to develop the phylogenetic tree (Figure 2). The sequences correspond to six species: one specimen of Tabanus sp. 1 (TSPONUV3), five specimens of Tabanus commixtus (PQ410426, PQ410430, PQ410431, PQ410432, PQ410433, PQ410429), one specimen of Tabanus sp. 2 (TSPONUV1), one specimen Tabanus sp. 3 (TSPONUV2), one specimen Tabanus pungens (PQ410427), and three specimens of Tabanus oculus (PQ410435, PQ410434, PQ410428). No sequence was obtained for the species identified as T. occidentalis var dorsovittatus. The final alignment of the 13 sequences obtained was ranked between 584 and 588 bp, with 248 variable nucleotide positions, 336 conserved sites, 58 singleton sites, and 191 parsimony informative sites. Of the 13 sequences, 10 matched with those identified by taxonomic keys as T. oculus (PQ410435, PQ410434, PQ410428), T. commixtus (PQ410426, PQ410430, PQ410431, PQ410432, PQ410433, PQ410429) and T. pungens (PQ410427) (Table 1). On the other hand, two sequences did not match the reference sequences available for T. colombensis or other Neotropical species. The overall genetic distance was 89%, and the pairwise Kimura 2-parameter genetic similarity ranged from 88.31% to 99.03%. The 12 sequences generated were uploaded to the GenBank database under the accession numbers. The external group used was Lutzomyia olmeca (GU909492). Although some support values in the consensus tree are low, most of the sequences generated from taxonomically identified individuals show a phylogenetic correspondence with those available for the species sensu stricto in the repositories. Indeed, our phylogenetic inference would suggest the existence of the “Tabanus lineola” complex described by Fairchild.
The following list of species is organized by subfamily, genus, and species in alphabetical order. In this work we include the material examined, relevant information on morphology, distribution in the Neotropical region, and previous records in Mexico.
Subfamily Tabaninae Latreille, 1802.
Genus Tabanus Linnaeus, 1758.
There are 58 species of Tabanus recognized in Mexico [17,29].
Tabanus sp. 1
Material examined: Mexico, Catemaco (Sontecomapan), 31-V-2022. 1 ♀, Malaise trap. Alavez-Chávez, col. Figure 3A,B.
Taxonomic remarks: Length 2 cm. Head, frons with ocelli inconspicuous, frontal callus narrow forming a continuous bridge, as Figure 3A–C; antenna with a prominent tooth in flagellum. Thorax, mesonotum, and scutellum of reddish coloration. Wing, length 1.6 cm, R4 without appendix and reddish (Figure 3E). Abdominal segments light reddish, without pattern or black color in the last three segments (Figure 3D).
Comments: Originally this specimen was identified as Tabanus bigoti Bellardi 1859 [44], but we do not identify the distinctive color pattern in the last abdominal segments in our specimens. Fairchild (1942) [45] detected two forms of T. bigoti species in Panama, and we observed that Tabanus sp. 1 is slightly similar to the form A in relation to the front callus shape but not in the antenna. Tabanus bigoti has two sequences from Costa Rica (ASIND4020-12, ASIND4030-12) but is not available, which makes comparison between these specimens and our molecular data difficult.
Tabanus commixtus Walker, 1860 [39].
Material examined: Mexico, Veracruz (Los Candadillos, Ignacio de la Llave; Sontecomapan, Catemaco), 05-IV-2022, 06-IV-2022, 31-V-2022, 14-VIII-2022, and 15-VIII-2022. 11♀, Malaise trap. Alavez-Chávez, col. Figure 4.
Type locality: “México” [3].
Known distribution: This species is distributed from Mexico to Venezuela, Martinique, and Trinidad [3]. However, there are also three records in Entre Ríos and Buenos Aires, Argentina (Catalog: MSUC_ARC_306655; MSUC_ARC_306656, MSUC_ARC_306657) [46,47,48]. In Mexico, T. commixus has been documented in Oaxaca (Palomares), Veracruz (Veracruz, Apazapan), Nayarit (San Blas), Guerrero (Iguala de la Independencia), Tamaulipas (Punta de Piedras, Gustavo Díaz Ordáz), Campeche (Calakmul), Yucatán (Sotuta, Homún, Dzibilchaltun-Merida, Dzemul, Tzucacab, Mochoca, Muna, Dzilam, Xmatkuilt, Tekax, Celestún, Río Lagartos, El Cuyo-Tizimín, Tinum), and Quintana Roo (Benito Juárez, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Othón P. Blanco, Bacalar) [9,21,22,23,49,50,51,52,53,54].
Taxonomic remarks: Length 1.3 ± 0.03 cm. Head, frontal callus as Figure 4A–C, frontal callus with a basal and median callus, with a basal callus dilated and square-shaped, the median callus forming an undefined line dilated at the middle. Thorax, mesonotum, and scutellum black (Figure 4B). Wing, length 1.08 ± 0.3 cm, R4 without appendix (Figure 4D). Abdominal segments, terga I-II with a gray and black triangle with a pubescence appearance (Figure 3E); with a median and two dorsolateral pale stripes, the last ones markedly step-like reaching approximately the tergum V (Figure 4B,E,F).
Comments: Tabanus maya Bequaert and T. truquii Fairchild are synonyms of Tabanus commixtus [7,17,18]. In Veracruz, the only record of this species dates from 1961 (Catalog: MSUC_ARC_306646R) [55]. Until this work, the first T. commixtus sequences available came from specimens from Costa Rica, and our specimens are in morphological and genetic accordance to those described in the BOLDSYSTEM (ASIND4043-12, ASIND4047-12, ASIND4048-12, ASIND4052-12). Tabanus commixtus is part of the “Tabanus lineola complex” with around 84 recorded scientific names, and is also one of the most difficult to characterize and identify with morphological character [8].
Tabanus sp. 2 (=morphologically similar to Tabanus colombensis Macquart, 1846 [40].
Material examined: Veracruz, Ignacio de la Llave (Los Candadillos), 3 ♀. 4-IV-2022, 5-IV-2022, 6-IV-2022. Malaise trap. Alavez-Chávez, col. Figure 5.
Taxonomic remarks: Length 1.3 ± 0.08 cm. Head, frontal callus black, with a basal and median discontinuous callus, basal callus nearly rectangular in shape, upper or median callus forming a poorly defined line with the non-dilated middle region (Figure 5A,C). Thorax, mesonotum, and scutellum dark, without color pattern; fore femur dark pilose but hind femur pale. Wing, length 1 + 0.04 cm, without an appendage in the R4 vein but with a vestige (Figure 5D,E). Abdominal segments, with a median and two dorsolateral pale pilose stripes, the first one of equal width in the terga I-VII, while the dorsolateral ones gradually decrease in width when reaching the tergum IV (Figure 5B).
Comments: The taxonomic keys proposed by Fairchild (1983) [8] indicate that the species corresponds to T. colombensis, a species that is distributed from the USA to Trinidad, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Brazil [3] with occurrences in four states of Mexico [9,21,29,49,56]. However, T. colombensis has sequences from specimens collected in Costa Rica, but none of our sequences were phylogenetically related to those specimens. According to the morphological character mentioned by Fairchild (1983) [8], this species will also be part of the “Tabanus lineola complex”.
Tabanus sp. 3 (=morphologically similar to Tabanus colombensis Macquart, 1846 [40].
Material examined: Veracruz, Ignacio de la Llave (Los Candadillos), 1♀. 16-VIII-2022. Malaise trap. Alavez-Chávez, col, Figure 6.
Taxonomic remarks: Length 1.2 cm. Head, frontal callus discontinuous, basal callus dilated extending near to the ocular suture, median callus forming an undefined and inconspicuous line (Figure 6A,B). Thorax, mesonotum, and scutellum dark (Figure 6E). Wing, length 1 cm, right wing with vestigial appendage in R4 (Figure 6C,D). Abdominal segments: all reddish, terga I-II with a dark sclerotization that forms a triangle that can reach the anterior region of the tergum III (Figure 6E).
Comments: This specimen was identified as T. colombensis. However, the shape and coloration of the frontal callus and the absence of the median and dorsolateral pale lines in the abdomen do not correspond to T. colombensis. These morphological differences coincided with the sequences derived from the specimen, which were not phylogenetically related to the sequences from Costa Rica’s T. colombensis. This confirms that it corresponds to another species of Tabanus, and according to the morphological character, will also be part of the “Tabanus lineola complex” (Fairchild, 1983) [8].
Tabanus occidentalis var dorsovittatus Macquart, 1855 [42].
Material examined: Veracruz, Ignacio de la Llave (Los Candadillos), 4-IV-2022, 4-IV-2022. 2 ♀. Malaise Trap. Alavez-Chávez, col, Figure 7.
Type locality: “South America” [3].
Known distribution: This species is distributed from Mexico to Argentina, with records included in Trinidad and Tobago [3]. In Mexico, T. occidentalis is recorded in Tamaulipas (La Pesca-Soto La Marina, NE of Aldama), Oaxaca (Palomares, Oaxaca), San Luis Potosí (Río Verde), Guerrero (Iguala), Yucatán (El Cuyo-Tizimin, Rio Lagartos, Celestún), Quintana Roo (Felipe Carrillo Puerto), and Veracruz (Minatitlan) [9,29,49,57,58,59,60,61,62,63].
Taxonomic remarks: Length 1.2 ± 0 cm. Head, frontal callus discontinuous as Figure 6A,B, antenna as Figure 6E. Thorax, mesonotum dark and scutellum brown with the apex light brown or reddish; fore femur black and hind femur pale, fore tibia with the distal portion dark. Wing, length 0.95 ± 0.05 cm, vein R4 with appendix (Figure 7D,F). Abdominal segment, with a median and two dorsolateral pale stripes, the first one over terga I-VI while the two dorsolateral lines just reach tergum IV (Figure 7C,G).
Comments: In this study no sequences of this species were obtained. However, the T. occidentalis specimens agree morphologically with those described in the BOLDSYSTEM. All records for the state of Veracruz date from 1961 [58]. It seems that the females of this species do not feed on humans, but they are considered important pests for horses and cattle [56]. Tabanus occidentalis var dorsovittatus is also recognized as part of the Tabanus lineola complex [8].
Tabanus oculus Walker, 1848 [43].
Material examined: Veracruz, Catemaco (Sontecomapan), 31-V-2022 and 6-IX-2022. 3 ♀. Malaise trap. Alavez-Chávez, col, Figure 8.
Type locality: “British Honduras” (Belize) [2009].
Known distribution: Mexico to Panama [3,7]. In Mexico: Guerrero (Iguala de la Independencia), Oaxaca (Palomares), San Luis Potosí (Rio Verde), Veracruz (Minatitlán), Quintana Roo (Vallehermoso-Bacalar, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Othón P. Blanco), Campeche (Calakmul), Yucatán (Reserva Cuxtla, Xmatkuilt, Celestun, Rio Lagartos), and Chiapas (Palenque) [9,19,21,29,49,64,65,66,67,68,69].
Taxonomic remarks: Length 1.9 ± 0.21 cm. Head, frontal callus continuous, basal and median callus connected by a narrow bridge, median callus last close to the ocellar area (Figure 8A,B). Thorax, mesonotum pilose, pre-scutellum area and scutellum with a black circle surrounded by a white-gray pilose ring (Figure 8D). Wing, length 1.46 ± 0.04 cm; vein R4 with appendix, vein R5 closed that narrows and extends until it reaches the outer margin of the wing (Figure 8C). Abdominal segments, light brown, terga I–V with pilose patches arranged on the posterocentral margin (Figure 8E).
Comments: We found in one of the specimens a pattern of stains on the abdominal segment I, close to the scutellum, which is not mentioned in the keys and description proposed by Fairchild (1983) [55], Ibáñez-Bernal et al. (1992) [9], and Coscarón and Papavero (2009) [3]. Our sequences match with the COI sequences of T. oculus specimens from Costa Rica available in the BOLDSYSTEM. Specimens of this species have been recorded in Shannon traps, feeding on humans and equines [9,19].
Tabanus pungens Wiedemann, 1828 [41].
Material examined: Mexico, Veracruz (Los Candadillos), 6-IV-2022, 1♀. Malaise trap. Alavez-Chávez, col, Figure 9.
Type locality: Uruguay, Montevideo [3].
Known distribution: USA (Texas), Neotropics (except West Indie and Chile), and Trinidad [3,7]. In Mexico there are only records in Yucatán (Dzemul, Rio Lagartos, Celestún) and Veracruz (Minatitlán) [21,23,49,68].
Taxonomic remarks: Smallest specimen, length 1.1 cm. Head, frontal callus as Figure 8A. Thorax, mesonotum dark and scutellum brown; anterior portion of hind tibia covered by light gray pilose area (Figure 9E), Wing, length 0.9 cm, vein R4 without appendix. Abdominal terga I-VIII with a median dark stripe and two dorsolateral pale irregular and broad stripes (Figure 9B–D). Legs, yellow that become dark from the middle part of the tibia.
Comments: Tabanus sallei and Tabanus propinquus, described from Mexico, are synonyms of T. pungens (Bellardi, 1859) [44]. The sequences derived from our specimens morphologically identified as T. pungens agree with the sequence available of specimens from Costa Rica. In Mexico, T. pungens have been collected in mangrove forests, transitional seasonal flooded forests, and tropical deciduous forests [21,23,69].

4. Discussion

This study presents an integrated approach based on morphology and DNA barcoding that contributes to the state of knowledge of the Tabanid fauna of Mexico. Also, our data represent the first contribution of COI sequences that may be used for the further development of a reference library of tabanids from Mexico and enrich information on Neotropical species.
Of the 22 horseflies collected, 40% of these were identified with morphological and molecular data. However, we determined that the identification of these species using taxonomic keys presents certain difficulties, because some morphological characteristics that stand out in some species are like those mentioned for other species. In addition, we observed some characteristics that are not indicated in the taxonomic keys, which complicates the correct taxonomic discrimination of the Tabanidae species. This is understandable given that until now, the taxonomic keys were restricted to limited species and type, and authenticated specimens of tabanids are scattered in different collections in Mexico and the world, so they are not easily available for comparative morphological studies. We believe that implementing both forms of identification for this group can provide integrated and complete information on the species.
Using morphological information, we identified five of the seven Tabanus species recognized in Veracruz [3,17]. All of the species had been reported in Minatitlán, Santiago Tuxtla, and Apazapan, so our data represented, for the majority of them, new locations of occurrence in the region. Our data also show inconsistencies with respect to the specimens recognized with morphological data as T. colombensis, while the molecular data show that they correspond to two different species (i.e., Tabanus sp. 2 and Tabanus sp. 3). This is consistent with what was mentioned by Fairchild (1983) [8], because all of these specimens belong to the “Tabanus lineola” complex whose members are difficult to characterize and identify with morphological characters alone. According to the data obtained in the phylogenetic analysis, it seems to indicate that the “Tabanus lineola” complex is a monophyletic group, where we find Tabanus commixtus related to Tabanus sp. 2 and sp. 3. In fact, it is striking that the reference sequences of T. colombensis from Costa Rica employed in our phylogenetic analysis are more related to those identified as T. commixtus. They are from the same country with a high support value (i.e., 96), so it is possible that the morphological identification of some of these specimens was not achieved successfully. Our data showed that our two potential Tabanus species (i.e., Tabanus sp. 1 and Tabanus sp. 2) recorded an average genetic distance of 92.47% from those identified as T. colombensis. Molecular information matched with the main morphological difference that was observed in Tabanus sp. 2 and Tabanus sp. 3. Based on these, we confirm the record of six Tabanus species collected in our study area.
On the other hand, we cannot generate sequences of T. occidentalis, and molecular data are not available for Tabanus sp. 1, originally identified as T. bigoti. In the particular case of Tabanus sp. 1, we observed marked morphological variation among the photographs of specimens available in the BOLDsystem (ASIND4026-12, ASIND4030-12). We observed that specimens in the BOLDsystem from Costa Rica coincide with the abdominal pattern described by Fairchild (1942) [45], so it opens the possibility that our specimen really corresponds to other species (i.e., Tabanus sp. 1). By contrast for T. occidentalis var. dorsovitatus, although it does not have sequences derived from our specimens, the taxonomic keys and morphological characteristics coincide with the specimens available in the BOLDsystem.
Considering the species identified with both approaches (morphological and molecular), we detected eight Tabanus species that represent only 4% of the total fauna documented so far in Mexico. In the case of Veracruz, our records signify only 21.33% of the species documented for the state [3]. This information also contributes to the record of two species of Tabanus that did not match with any of the reference sequences used, but due to the lack of sequences of tabanids from the Neotropical region, we cannot determine the species to which they correspond.
On the other hand, this work had a much lower richness and abundance of horseflies than other studies carried out in the Yucatán Peninsula [21,22,23]. Although it has been documented that our sampling seasons were those with greater activity of this group [4], so longer collection periods and other methods are required to guarantee a greater capture of specimens. It is also possible that the study sites represent highly disturbed ecosystems with restricted habitats for most species. It is striking that we not only detected species of the genus Tabanus alongside the 15 genera occurring in Veracruz, but one of the most important in the transmission of pathogens [4]. It has also been documented that this genus has generalist feeding habits, which may increase the risk of pathogen transmission, but the species identified in this work have so far not been reported as possible pathogenic vectors. Also, all of the specimens were female, and according to Fairchild (1986) [70], females are in constant search for a blood host, so it is more likely that they will be captured.

5. Conclusions

In conclusion, our study agrees with the argument that the DNA barcoding approach is a vital tool for the discrimination of Tabanidae species, especially those of species complex. Our study provided the first sequences from Mexican specimens and increased the DNA barcoding of Neotropical species. However, our study also highlights the need to continue with faunal studies using multiple collection methods in this and other regions of our country, which will allow the construction of taxonomic identification keys and sequences of references for the recognition of the real diversity of the species of Tabanidae in Mexico.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, J.J.A.-C., S.S.-M. and M.A.-D.; Data curation, J.J.A.-C., S.I.-B. and H.H.-J.; Formal analysis, J.J.A.-C., A.C.M.d.O.-A. and S.S.-M.; Investigation, J.J.A.-C., A.C.M.d.O.-A., S.I.-B. and M.A.-D.; Methodology, J.J.A.-C. and A.C.M.d.O.-A.; Resources, A.C.M.d.O.-A., S.S.-M. and M.A.-D.; Software, S.S.-M.; Validation, J.J.A.-C., A.C.M.d.O.-A., S.S.-M., S.I.-B., H.H.-J. and M.A.-D.; Writing—original draft, J.J.A.-C., A.C.M.d.O.-A., D.R.-S., A.C.-R. and M.A.-D.; Writing—review and editing, A.C.M.d.O.-A., S.S.-M., S.I.-B., H.H.-J., D.R.-S., A.C.-R. and M.A.-D. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Data Availability Statement

Sequences generated in the present study were deposited in GenBank under the following accession numbers: PQ410426-PQ410429 and PQ410430-PQ410435.

Acknowledgments

The first author was supported by a scholarship from the Mexican Council of Humanities, Science and Technology (CONAHCyT, No. 999101). The authors are in debt to the Tropical Medicine Center of the Research Division of the UNAM Faculty of Medicine. To MVZ Miguel Angel Malpica Silva for work facilities. The helpful assistance in the field of MCA Pamela Aguilar and MCQ David Garcia Gomez is also appreciated.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

References

  1. Henriques, A.L.; Krolow, T.K.; Rafael, J.A. Corrections and additions to Catalogue of Neotropical Diptera (Tabanidae) of Coscarón & Papavero (2009). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 2012, 56, 277–280. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  2. Krolow, T.K.; Henriques, A.L.; Pollet, M. The Tabanidae of the Mitaraka expedition, with an updated check list of French Guiana (Diptera). ZooKeys 2017, 684, 85–118. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  3. Coscarón, S.; Papavero, N. Manual of Neotropical Diptera. Tabanidae Neotrop. Diptera 2009, 6, 1–137. [Google Scholar]
  4. Baldacchino, F.; Desquesnes, M.; Mihok, S.; Foil, L.D.; Duvallet, G.; Jittapalapong, S. Tabanids: Neglected subjects of research, but important vectors of disease agents! Infect. Genet. Evol. 2014, 28, 596–615. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  5. Keita, M.L.; Medkour, H.; Sambou, M.; Dahmana, H.; Mediannikov, O. Tabanids as possible pathogen vectors in Senegal (West Africa). Parasites Vectors 2022, 13, 500. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  6. Williams, K.A.; Smit, A.; Neves, L.; Snyman, L.P. Evaluating the morphological and molecular challenges in identifying the afrotropical Atylotus species (Diptera: Tabanidae). Acta Trop. 2022, 226, 106262. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  7. Fairchild, G.B.; Burger, J.F. A catalog of the Tabanidae (Diptera) of the Americas south of the United States. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 1994, 55, 1–249. [Google Scholar]
  8. Fairchild, G.B. Notes on Neotropical Tabanidae (Diptera). XIX. The Tabanus lineola complex. Misc. Publ. Entomol. Soc. Am. 1983, 57, 1–51. [Google Scholar]
  9. Ibáñez-Bernal, S. Tabanidae (Diptera) de Quintana Roo, México. In Diversidad Biológica en la Reserva de la Biosfera de Sian Ka’an Quintana Roo, México; Navarro, D., Suárez-Morales, E., Eds.; CIQRO/SEDESOL: Quintana Roo, Mexico, 1992; Volume II, pp. 241–285. [Google Scholar]
  10. Cywinska, A.; Hannan, M.A.; Kevan, P.G.; Roughley, R.E.; Iranpour, M.; Hunter, F.F. Evaluation of DNA barcoding and identification of new haplomorphs in Canadian deerflies and horseflies. Med. Vet. Entomol. 2010, 24, 382–410. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  11. Banerjee, D.; Kumar, V.; Maity, A.; Ghosh, B.; Tyagi, K.; Singha, D.; Kundu, S.; Laskar, B.S.; Naskar, A.; Rath, S. Identification through DNA barcoding of Tabanidae (Diptera) vectors of surra disease in India. Acta Trop. 2015, 150, 52–58. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  12. Changbunjong, T.; Bhusri, B.; Sedwisai, P.; Weluwanarak, T.; Nitiyamatawat, E.; Chareonviriyaphap, T.; Ruangsittichai, J. Applying DNA barcodes for identification of horseflies, Tabanus spp. (Diptera: Tabanidae) in Thailand (No. 52740). Thail. Sci. Res. Innov. 2017. Available online: https://digital.library.tu.ac.th/tu_dc/frontend/Info/item/dc:52740 (accessed on 5 December 2024).
  13. Changbunjong, T.; Bhusri, B.; Sedwisai, P.; Weluwanarak, T.; Nitiyamatawat, E.; Chareonviriyaphap, T.; Ruangsittichai, J. Species identification of horseflies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in Thailand using DNA barcoding. Vet. Parasitol. 2018, 259, 35–43. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  14. Votýpka, J.; Brzoňová, J.; Ježek, J.; Modrý, D. Horseflies (Diptera: Tabanidae) of three West African countries: A faunistic update, barcoding analysis and trypanosome occurrence. Acta Trop. 2019, 197, 105069. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  15. Changbunjong, T.; Weluwanarak, T.; Sedwisai, P.; Ruangsittichai, J.; Duvallet, G.; Chareonviriyaphap, T. New records and DNA barcoding of deer flies, Chrysops (Diptera: Tabanidae) in Thailand. Acta Trop. 2020, 210, 105532. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  16. Krčmar, S.; Kučinić, M.; Pezzi, M.; Mađarić, B.B. DNA barcoding of the horsefly fauna (Diptera, Tabanidae) of Croatia with notes on the morphology and taxonomy of selected species from Chrysopsinae and Tabaninae. ZooKeys 2022, 1087, 141–161. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  17. Ibáñez-Bernal, S. Actualización del catálogo de autoridades taxonómicas del orden Diptera (Insecta) de México; Instituto de Ecología AC. Red Ambiente y Sustentabilidad; SNIB-CONABIO: Mexico City, Mexico, 2017. [Google Scholar]
  18. Bequaert, J. Tabanidae of the Peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico, with descriptions of new species. J. N. Y. Entomol. Soc. 1931, 39, 533–553. [Google Scholar]
  19. Fairchild, G.B. Tabanidae from the state of Chiapas, Mexico, with descriptions of two new species (Diptera). Psyche A J. Entomol. 1953, 60, 41–51. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  20. Ibáñez-Bernal, S.; Canul, O.; Caamal, J. Los dípteros de la Reserva de la Biosfera de Sian Ka’an. In Diversidad biológica en la Reserva de la Biosfera de Sian Ka’an, Q. Roo, México; Navarro, D., Robinson, J., Eds.; CIQRO, Quintana Roo: Mexico City, Mexico, 1990; Volume I, pp. 307–316. [Google Scholar]
  21. Manrique-Saide, P.; Delfín-González, H.; Ibáñez-Bernal, S. Horseflies (Diptera: Tabanidae) from protected areas of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Fla. Entomol. 2001, 84, 84352. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  22. Martín-Park, A.; Delfín-González, H.; Sosenski, P.; Reyes-Novelo, E.; Meléndez-Ramírez, V.; Navarrete-Carballo, J.; Manrique-Saide, P. Diversity of Tabanidae, Asilidae and Syrphidae (Diptera) in natural protected areas of Yucatan, Mexico. J. Insect Conserv. 2018, 22, 85–97. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  23. Navarrete-Carballo, J.; Chan-Espinoza, D.; Huerta, H.; Trujillo-Pena, E.; Lopez-Platas, J.; Vivas-Perez, D.; Martin-Park, A. Diversity of Culicidae and Tabanidae (Diptera) and new record of Uranotaenia sapphirina from the archaeological site of X’cambó, Yucatan, Mexico. Int. J. Trop. Insect Sci. 2021, 41, 1355–1363. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  24. Ferrusquia, V.I. Geología de México: Una sinopsis. En Ramamoorty, T.P., R. Bye, A. Lot y J. Fa. Diversidad Biológica de México: Orígenes y Distribución; Instituto de Biología UNAM: Mexico City, Mexico, 1998; pp. 3–108. [Google Scholar]
  25. Morrone, J.J.; Espinosa-Organista, D.; Llorente-Bousquets, J. Mexican biogeographic provinces: Preliminary scheme, general characterizations, and synonymie. Acta Zoológica Mex. 2002, 85, 83–108. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  26. Gómez-Pompa, A. Ecología de la Vegetación del Estado de Veracruz; Instituto de Investigaciones Sobre Recursos Bióticos: Mexico City, Mexico, 1978; p. 91. [Google Scholar]
  27. Rzedowski, J. Comisión Nacional para Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad; Vegetación de México: Mexico City, Mexico, 2005; p. 504. [Google Scholar]
  28. Pennington, T.D.; Sarukhán, J. Árboles Tropicales de México: Manual Para la Identificación de las Principales Especies; UNAM: Mexico City, Mexico, 2005. [Google Scholar]
  29. Ibáñez-Bernal, S.; Coscarón, S. Tabanidae (Diptera). Biodiversidad, Taxonomía y Biogeografía de artrópodos de México: Hacia una síntesis de su conocimiento. In Llorente-Bousquets, García-Aldrete y González-Soriano. 2; UNAM: Mexico City, Mexico, 2000; pp. 593–606. [Google Scholar]
  30. Vázquez-Domínguez, E.; Arita, H.T. The Yucatan peninsula: Biogeographical history 65 million years in the making. Ecography 2010, 33, 212–219. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  31. Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía. (s.f). Información por Entidad. Available online: https://cuentame.inegi.org.mx/monografias/informacion/ver/territorio/clima.aspx?tema=me&e=30 (accessed on 28 August 2023).
  32. Comité Estatal de Información Estadística y Geografía del Estado de Veracruz. Cuadernillos Municipales 2020. 2020. Available online: https://www.uv.mx/ouu/sitios-de-interes/ceieg/ (accessed on 28 August 2023).
  33. Ballados-González, G.G.; Sánchez-Montes, S.; Romero-Salas, D.; Colunga-Salas, P.; Gutiérrez-Molina, R.; León-Paniagua, L.; Becker, I.; Méndez-Ojeda, M.L.; Barrientos-Salcedo, C.; Serna-Lagunes, R.; et al. Detection of pathogenic Leptospira species associated with phyllostomid bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from Veracruz, Mexico. Transbound Emerg. Dis. 2018, 65, 773–781. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  34. Folmer, O.; Black, M.; Hoeh, W.; Lutz, R.; Vrijenhoek, R. DNA primers for amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I from diverse metazoan invertebrates. Mol. Mar. Biol. Biotechnol. 1994, 3, 294–299. [Google Scholar] [PubMed]
  35. Marsico, T.D.; Wallace, L.E.; Ervin, G.N.; Brooks, C.P.; McClure, J.E.; Welch, M.E. Geographic patterns of genetic diversity from the native range of Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) support the documented history of invasion and multiple introductions for invasive populations. Biol. Invasions 2010, 2, 654–671. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  36. Tamura, K.; Stecher, G.; Kumar, S. MEGA11: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis Version 11. Mol. Biol. Evol. 2021, 38, 3022–3027. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  37. Darriba, D.; Taboada, G.; Doallo, R.; Posada, D. jModelTest 2: Más modelos, nuevas heurísticas y computación paralela. Métodos Nat. 2012, 9, 772. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  38. Hillis, D.M.; Bull, J.J. An empirical test of bootstrapping as a method for assessing confidence in phylogenetic analysis. Syst. Biol. 1993, 42, 182–192. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  39. Walker, F. Characters of undescribed Diptera in the collection of W. W. Saunders. Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. 1860, 5, 268–296. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  40. Macquart, J. Diptères exotiques nouveaux ou peu connus. [ler.] Supplément. Mém. Soc. R. Sci. Agric. Arts Lille 1845, 1844, 133–364, 20 pls. (Also sep. Publ. as Supplément [I], pp. 5–238, 20 pls, Paris, 1846). [Google Scholar]
  41. Wiedemann, C.R.W. Aussereuropäische zweiflügelige Insekten l: xxxii + 608 pp., 7 pls. Hamm. 1828. Available online: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/50649#page/17/mode/1up (accessed on 2 September 2024).
  42. Macquart, J. Diptères exotiques nouveaux ou peuconnus, 5e. supplément. Mém. Soc. Imp. Sci. Agric. Arts Lille 1854, 25–156, 7 pls. (Also sep. publ. as Supplément V: 5-136, 7 pls, Paris, 1855). [Google Scholar]
  43. Walker, F. List of the Specimens of Dipterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum; Natural History Museum (London) Publications: London, UK, 1848; 229p. [Google Scholar]
  44. Bellardi, L. Saggio di Ditterologia Messicana. 1859. Parte I. l: 80 pp., 2 pls. Torino (Also published in Mem. r. Accad. Sci. Torino 19: 201-277, 2 pls., 1861). Available online: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/34109#page/11/mode/1up (accessed on 2 September 2024).
  45. Fairchild, G.B. Notes on Tabanidae (Dipt.) from Panama X. the Genus Tabanus Linn., and Resume of the Tabanidae of Panama. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 1942, 35, 441–474. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  46. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. Occurrence Dataset. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3385754678 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  47. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. Occurrence Dataset. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3385745656 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  48. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. Occurrence Dataset. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3385752670 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  49. Huerta-Jiménez, H. Actualización de la Colección de Artrópodos con Importancia médica (CAIM), Laboratorio de Entomología, InDRE. Colección CAIM; Bases de Datos SNIB-CONABIO, Proyectos HA006 CC011 y G011; Instituto Nacional de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos: Mexico City, Mexico, 2015. [Google Scholar]
  50. Mississippi Entomological Museum. Occurrence Dataset. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2884915816 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  51. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. Occurrence Dataset. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3385763676 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  52. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. Occurrence Dataset. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3385753662 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  53. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. Occurrence Dataset. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3385771668 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  54. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. Occurrence Dataset. Version 162.387. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/727588728 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  55. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. 2023. Available online: https://scan-bugs.org/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=57341879 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  56. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. 2023. Available online: https://scan-bugs.org:443/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=57341877 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  57. Mississippi Entomological Museum. Occurrence Dataset. 2020. Available online: https://doi.org/10.15468/iuhxpw (accessed on 25 January 2021).
  58. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. 2023. Available online: https://scan-bugs.org:443/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=57355266 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  59. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. Occurrence Dataset. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3385762712 (accessed on 2 September 2023). [CrossRef]
  60. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3385744718 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  61. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3385769732 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  62. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. 2023. Available online: https://scan-bugs.org:443/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=57355264 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  63. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. 2023. Available online: https://scan-bugs.org:443/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=57355243 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  64. University of New Hampshire Collection of Insects and Arthropods (UNHC-UNHC). 2023. Available online: https://scan-bugs.org/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=65443028 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  65. University of New Hampshire Collection of Insects and Arthropods (UNHC-UNHC). 2023. Available online: https://scan-bugs.org/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=65460443 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  66. Actualización de la Colección de Artrópodos con Importancia Médica (CAIM), Laboratorio de Entomología, InDRE. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/1894408179 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  67. Diptera Collection of Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS. 2023. Available online: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/1706015028 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  68. The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. 2023. Available online: https://scan-bugs.org:443/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=57363937 (accessed on 2 September 2023).
  69. Ibáñez-Bernal, S. Los Dípteros Hematófagos y Taxa Relacionados de dos Áreas Protegidas del Estado de Yucatán, México (Insecta). Secretaría de Salud; Informe Final SNIB-CONABIO. Proyecto No. G011; Instituto Nacional de Diagnóstico y Referencias Epidemiológicos: México City, Mexico, 1998. [Google Scholar]
  70. Fairchild, G.B. The Tabanidae of Panama. Contrib. Am. Entomol. Inst. 1986, 72, 1–139. [Google Scholar]
Taxonomy 04 00046 g001
Figure 1. Study area in Veracruz, Mexico. Location of Los Candadillos (A number 1) and Sontecomapan (A number 2) (https://www.inegi.org.mx/app/mapas/). Malaise trap in Los Candadillos (B) and Sontecomapan (C). The map was created using ArcGIS 10.3 (www.arcgis.com).
Figure 1. Study area in Veracruz, Mexico. Location of Los Candadillos (A number 1) and Sontecomapan (A number 2) (https://www.inegi.org.mx/app/mapas/). Malaise trap in Los Candadillos (B) and Sontecomapan (C). The map was created using ArcGIS 10.3 (www.arcgis.com).
Taxonomy 04 00046 g001
Taxonomy 04 00046 g002
Figure 2. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree (consensus) generated with partial Tabanid COI sequences (BIC 8051.235, Model GTR+G+I, InL-3615.284). Sequences generated in the present study are marked in bold.
Figure 2. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree (consensus) generated with partial Tabanid COI sequences (BIC 8051.235, Model GTR+G+I, InL-3615.284). Sequences generated in the present study are marked in bold.
Taxonomy 04 00046 g002
Taxonomy 04 00046 g003
Figure 3. Tabanus species collected in this study. Tabanus sp. 1, head frontal view (A,C), dorsal view of thorax (B), dorsal view of abdominal segments (D), ventral view of left wing (E). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Figure 3. Tabanus species collected in this study. Tabanus sp. 1, head frontal view (A,C), dorsal view of thorax (B), dorsal view of abdominal segments (D), ventral view of left wing (E). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Taxonomy 04 00046 g003
Taxonomy 04 00046 g004
Figure 4. Tabanus commixtus, head frontal view (A,C), dorsal view of abdominal segments (B,E), ventral view of left wing (D), lateral view (F). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Figure 4. Tabanus commixtus, head frontal view (A,C), dorsal view of abdominal segments (B,E), ventral view of left wing (D), lateral view (F). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Taxonomy 04 00046 g004
Taxonomy 04 00046 g005
Figure 5. Tabanus sp. 2. Head frontal view (A,C), dorsal view of abdominal segments (B), dorsal view of left wing (D), lateral view (E). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Figure 5. Tabanus sp. 2. Head frontal view (A,C), dorsal view of abdominal segments (B), dorsal view of left wing (D), lateral view (E). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Taxonomy 04 00046 g005
Taxonomy 04 00046 g006
Figure 6. Tabanus sp. 3. Head frontal view (A,B), ventral view of left wing (C,D), dorsal view (E). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Figure 6. Tabanus sp. 3. Head frontal view (A,B), ventral view of left wing (C,D), dorsal view (E). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Taxonomy 04 00046 g006
Taxonomy 04 00046 g007
Figure 7. Tabanus occidentalis. Head dorsal (A) and frontal view (B); dorsal view of thorax and abdominal segments (C); wing with appendix in R4 (D,F); antenna lateral view (E) and ventral lateral view (G). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Figure 7. Tabanus occidentalis. Head dorsal (A) and frontal view (B); dorsal view of thorax and abdominal segments (C); wing with appendix in R4 (D,F); antenna lateral view (E) and ventral lateral view (G). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Taxonomy 04 00046 g007
Taxonomy 04 00046 g008
Figure 8. Tabanus oculus. Head frontal view (A,B), dorsal view of left wing (C), dorsal view of thorax and abdomen (D), lateral view (E). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Figure 8. Tabanus oculus. Head frontal view (A,B), dorsal view of left wing (C), dorsal view of thorax and abdomen (D), lateral view (E). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Taxonomy 04 00046 g008
Taxonomy 04 00046 g009
Figure 9. Tabanus pungens. Head frontal view (A), dorsal view of thorax and abdomen (B,D), dorsal view of left wing (C), lateral view (E). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Figure 9. Tabanus pungens. Head frontal view (A), dorsal view of thorax and abdomen (B,D), dorsal view of left wing (C), lateral view (E). Scale bars = 100 µm.
Taxonomy 04 00046 g009
Table 1. Reference sequences obtained from BOLDSYSTEMS and GenBank.
Table 1. Reference sequences obtained from BOLDSYSTEMS and GenBank.
SpeciesAccess. NumberDatabaseBINCountry of Origin
Tabanus pungensASIND4155-12BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:ACA0974Costa Rica
Tabanus pungensASIND4146-12BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:ACA0975Costa Rica
Tabanus sp.OM607086.1GenBank-Argentina
Tabanus sp.OM553102.1GenBank-Argentina
Tabanus occidentalisKY777206.1GenBank-Brazil
Tabanus colombensisASIND4039-12BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:ACA1654Costa Rica
Tabanus commixtusASIND4052-12BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:AAV0876Costa Rica
Tabanus commixtusASIND4047-12BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:AAV0876Costa Rica
Atylotus agrestisGBDP25178-19BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:ACK8681Africa
Atylotus throracicusBBDEC313-09BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:AAI4871Canada
Atylotus sublunaticornisJWDCJ758-11BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:ABY8099Canada
Atylotus insuetusBBDCP644-10BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:AAP7674Canada
Tabanus americanusBBDITI33-11BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:AAH0839EUA
Tabanus antarcticusKY777170.1GenBank Brazil
Tabanus oculusASIND4105-12BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:ACA0971Costa Rica
Tabanus oculusASIND4101-12BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:ACA0971Costa Rica
Tabanus fraternusMK396308.1GenBank-Central African Republic
Tabanus fraternusMK396307.1GenBank-Central African Republic
Tabanus tenensKM111684.1GenBank-India
Tabanus tenensKM111669.1GenBank-India
Tabanus defilippiiASIND4054-12BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:ACA1643Costa Rica
Stenotabanus littoreusASIND3671-12BOLDSYSTEMSBOLD:ABZ9459Costa Rica
Lutzomyia olmecaGU909492.1GenBank-Colombia
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Alavez-Chávez, J.J.; Oca-Aguilar, A.C.M.d.; Sánchez-Montes, S.; Ibáñez-Bernal, S.; Huerta-Jiménez, H.; Romero-Salas, D.; Cruz-Romero, A.; Aguilar-Domínguez, M. DNA Barcoding of Tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) from Veracruz, Mexico, with Notes on Morphology and Taxonomy. Taxonomy 2024, 4, 862-880. https://doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy4040046

AMA Style

Alavez-Chávez JJ, Oca-Aguilar ACMd, Sánchez-Montes S, Ibáñez-Bernal S, Huerta-Jiménez H, Romero-Salas D, Cruz-Romero A, Aguilar-Domínguez M. DNA Barcoding of Tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) from Veracruz, Mexico, with Notes on Morphology and Taxonomy. Taxonomy. 2024; 4(4):862-880. https://doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy4040046

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alavez-Chávez, Julia J., Ana C. Montes de Oca-Aguilar, Sokani Sánchez-Montes, Sergio Ibáñez-Bernal, Herón Huerta-Jiménez, Dora Romero-Salas, Anabel Cruz-Romero, and Mariel Aguilar-Domínguez. 2024. "DNA Barcoding of Tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) from Veracruz, Mexico, with Notes on Morphology and Taxonomy" Taxonomy 4, no. 4: 862-880. https://doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy4040046

APA Style

Alavez-Chávez, J. J., Oca-Aguilar, A. C. M. d., Sánchez-Montes, S., Ibáñez-Bernal, S., Huerta-Jiménez, H., Romero-Salas, D., Cruz-Romero, A., & Aguilar-Domínguez, M. (2024). DNA Barcoding of Tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) from Veracruz, Mexico, with Notes on Morphology and Taxonomy. Taxonomy, 4(4), 862-880. https://doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy4040046

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop