Is Aedes nr. albopictus synonymous with Aedes pseudalbopictus?

Abstract

A recent study reported a putative cryptic species of Aedes albopictus, provisionally named Aedes nr. albopictus, from Tripura, India, based on molecular data from mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) regions. However, our reanalysis, incorporating COI and ITS2 sequences of the co-occurring species Aedes pseudalbopictus and employing maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis, albeit with a limited number of available sequences, suggests that this lineage is conspecific with Ae. pseudalbopictus. Given the morphological similarities and overlapping habitat use of Ae. albopictus and Ae. pseudalbopictus in India and Southeast Asia, we hypothesize that the reported cryptic species could potentially be attributed to Ae. pseudalbopictus. Our findings underscore the need for comprehensive taxonomic assessments, integrating morphological and molecular analyses of all sympatric Stegomyia species, to ensure accurate species delimitation and support effective vector surveillance and control.