Browsing by Autor "Gary N. Fritz"

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Identification of Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) marajoara (Diptera: Culicidae) in Bolivia Using Polymerase Chain Reaction and a Restriction Endonuclease
(Oxford University Press, 2006) Corey L. Brelsfoard; Gary N. Fritz; R. Rodríguez
Abstract Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) marajoara Galvão & Damasceno (Diptera: Culicidae) is a member of the Albitarsis cryptic species complex and is a primary vector of human Plasmodium in parts of Brazil. We report the first record of An. marajoara in the department of Cochabamba and confirm its presence in the department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We also describe a PCR protocol producing a single amplicon (≈340 bp) of a section of the internal transcribed spacer 2 specific for members of the Albitarsis species complex; the polymerase chain reaction protocol did not amplify the DNA of 17 other species in the subgenus Nyssorhynchus. Digestion of the amplicon with the restriction endonuclease BfaI produces two fragments specific to An. marajoara in Bolivia.
Identification of Four Vectors of Human Plasmodium spp. by Multiplex PCR: Anopheles rangeli, An. strodei, An. triannulatus, and An. trinkae (Diptera: Culicidae: Nyssorhynchus)
(Oxford University Press, 2004) Gary N. Fritz; S. Engman; R. Rodríguez; Richard C. Wilkerson
One of the major obstacles for studies of the biology, ecology, and behavior of Neotropical vectors of human Plasmodium has been the lack of reliable and efficient means of identifying many species. Although the subgenus Nyssorhynchus includes most species responsible for human transmission in South America, there are no polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques for identifying members of this taxon. We describe the first multiplex PCR for identifying four species in the subgenus Nyssorhynchus that are vectors of human Plasmodium spp. Four species specific primers, together with a universal primer that anneals to the 5.8S rDNA region, produce amplicons of the internal transcribed spacer two with base pair sizes of 131,308,371, and 441 for An. triannulatus, An. trinkae, An. strodei, and An. rangeli, respectively.
Morphometric Variability ofAnopheles pseudopunctipennis(Diptera: Culicidae) from Different Ecoregions of Argentina and Bolivia
(Florida Entomological Society, 2011) María J. Dantur Juri; Jonathan Liria; Juan Carlos Navarro; Roberto Rodríguez; Gary N. Fritz
Anopheles pseudopunctipennis is a New World species extending from about 30°S in central Argentina to about 40°N in the USA. It is considered one of the most important malaria vectors in South America and its implication in malaria transmission varies along its distribution. We evaluated the effect of ecoregion and geographical distances on the traits or morphological characters of An. pseudopunctipennis females from 15 localities in Argentina and Bolivia using cladistic and morphometric analyses. The cladistic analysis (Maximum Parsimony) demonstrated that the effect of ecoregion characterization in distinguishing between Bolivian and Argentinean populations was stronger than the effect of geographical distances. Morphometric analysis (Discriminant analysis) did not reveal a pattern between Bolivian and Argentinean populations based on geographical distances. Ecoregional characterization of An. pseudopunctipennis populations throughout is range, caused us to conclude that studies of morphological traits characteristics are necessary in differentiating between populations. Moreover, molecular studies are required to determine whether geographical distances influence population differentiation in An. pseudopunctipennis from Argentina and Bolivia, in the extreme south of South America.