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. 2023:30:21.
doi: 10.1051/parasite/2023021. Epub 2023 Jun 9.

On the systematics of Phlebotomus betisi and two new related species from Laos with proposal of the new subgenus Lewisius

Khamsing Vongphayloth  1 , Fano José Randrianambinintsoa  2 , Khaithong Lakeomany  3 , Nothasine Phommavanh  3 , Nalia Mekarnia  2 , Mohd Shahar Khadri  4 , Matthieu L Kaltenbach  2 , Antoine Huguenin  5 , Jean-Philippe Martinet  6 , Jérôme Depaquit  2
Affiliations

On the systematics of Phlebotomus betisi and two new related species from Laos with proposal of the new subgenus Lewisius

Khamsing Vongphayloth et al. Parasite. 2023.

Abstract
in English, French

Phlebotomus betisi was described from Malaysia and classified after its description in the subgenus Larroussius. It was the only species to have a pharyngeal armature composed of dot-like teeth and an annealed spermatheca whose head is carried by a neck in females. Males were characterized by having a style bearing five spines and a simple paramere. The study of sandflies originating from a cave in Laos enabled us to discover and describe two sympatric species close to Ph. betisi Lewis & Wharton, 1963 and new for Science: Ph. breyi Vongphayloth & Depaquit n. sp., and Ph. sinxayarami Vongphayloth & Depaquit n. sp. They were characterized morphologically, morphometrically, geomorphometrically, molecularly, and proteomically (MALDI-TOF). All approaches converged to validate the individualization of these species whose morphological differential characters lay in the two genders by the observation of the interocular suture and by the length of the last two segments of the maxillary palps. In males, the length of the genital filaments discriminates these species. Females are distinguished by the length of the ducts of the spermathecae as well as by the narrow or enlarged shape of the neck bearing their head. Lastly, the particular position of the spines of the gonostyle coupled with molecular phylogeny led us to remove these three species from the subgenus Larroussius Nizulescu, 1931 and to classify them in a new subgenus: Lewisius Depaquit & Vongphayloth n. subg.

Title: Sur la systématique de Phlebotomus betisi et de deux nouvelles espèces apparentées du Laos avec proposition du nouveau sous-genre Lewisius.

Abstract: Phlebotomus betisi a été décrit de Malaisie et fut classé après sa description dans le sous-genre Larroussius. C’était la seule espèce à posséder chez la femelle une armature pharyngienne composée de dents en forme de points et à avoir une spermathèque annelée dont la tête est portée par un cou. Les mâles se caractérisaient par un style porteur de cinq épines et par un paramère simple. L’étude de Phlébotomes originaires d’une grotte du Laos nous a permis de découvrir et de décrire deux espèces sympatriques proches de Ph. betisi Lewis & Wharton, 1963 et nouvelles pour la Science : Ph. breyi Vongphayloth & Depaquit n. sp., et Ph. sinxayarami Vongphayloth & Depaquit n. sp. Elles ont été caractérisées morphologiquement, morphométriquement, géomorphométriquement, moléculairement et protéomiquement (MALDI-TOF). Toutes ces approches convergent pour valider l’individualisation de chacune de ces espèces dont les caractères morphologiques différentiels reposent dans les deux sexes par l’observation de la suture interoculaire et par la longueur des deux derniers segments des palpes maxillaires. Chez les mâles, la longueur des filaments génitaux discrimine ces espèces. Les femelles sont distinguées par la longueur des conduits des spermathèques ainsi que par la forme étroite ou élargie du cou portant la tête de ces spermathèques. Enfin, la position particulière des épines sur le gonostyle couplée à une phylogénie moléculaire nous amène à extraire ces trois espèces du sous genre Larroussius Nitzulescu, 1931 pour les classer dans un nouveau sous-genre : Lewisius Depaquit & Vongphayloth n. subg.

Keywords: Laos; New species; New subgenus; Phlebotomine sandflies; Phlebotomus; Systematics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A: the star indicates the location of Pha Nok Kok cave in Feung district, Vientiane province, Laos; B: Pha Nok Kok cave location in the hills (red arrow); C: Pha Nok Kok cave entrance where the sandflies were caught.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree of partial cyt b gene of the species within Lewisius n. subg. and Larroussius subgenus. Numbers on branches estimated by 100 replication bootstrap support. Species within Lewisius are separated from those within Larroussius with a bootstrap value of 100%.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Morphometric analysis. Principal Component Analysis of wings landmarks of Phlebotomus (Lewisius) breyi n. sp. and Phlebotomus (Lew.) sinxayarami n. sp. for females (A, on the left) and males (B, on the right). Biplot of the first two principal components (PC1 and PC2).
Figure 4
Figure 4
MALDI-TOF analysis. Main Spectra Profile Dendrogram using correlation distance measures and Ward algorithm for Lewisius n. subg. and reference spectra of our in-house database [22] of the Larroussius subgenus.
Figure 5
Figure 5
MALDI-TOF analysis. Primary Component Analysis of the spectra of Phlebotomus (Lewisius) breyi n. sp. and Phlebotomus (Lewisius) sinxayarami n. sp. Biplot of the first two principal components (PC1 and PC2).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Phlebotomus (Lewisius) breyi n. sp. Holotype male. A: head; B: flagellomeres 1, 2 and 3 (=AIII, AIV and AV); C: labial furca; D: palp; E: third segment of the palp (P3); F: pharynx and cibarium; G: wing; H: genitalia; I: detail of the parameral sheath and the distal part of the genital ducts; and J: gonostyle exhibiting an additional thin basal sixth spine.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Phlebotomus (Lewisius) breyi n. sp. Paratype female. A: head; B: mouth parts (from left to right: labrum, hypopharynx, mandible, maxilla, and labial furca); C: palp; D: third segment of the palp; E: flagellomeres 1, 2 and 3 (=AIII, AIV and AV); F: wing; G: furca and bases of spermathecal ducts; and H: spermathecae.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Phlebotomus (Lewisius) sinxayarami n. sp. Holotype male. A: palp; B: pharynx and cibarium; C: flagellomeres 1, 2 and 3 (=AIII, AIV and AV); D: labial furca; E: head; F: third segment of the palp (P3); G: wing; and H: genitalia.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Phlebotomus (Lewisius) sinxayarami n. sp. Paratype female. A: head; B: mouth parts (labrum, hypopharynx, mandible, maxilla, and labial furca from left to right); C: third segment of the palp (P3); D: palp; E: pharynx and cibarium; F: flagellomeres 1, 2 and 3 (=AIII, AIV and AV); G: spermathecae; H: furca and bases of spermathecal ducts; and I: wing.
<i>Figure S1</i>:
Figure S1:
Boxplot of centroid sizes of wings landmarks of Phlebotomus (Lewisius) breyi n. sp. and Phlebotomus (Lewisius) sinxayarami n. sp. for male and female specimens.
<i>Figure S2</i>:
Figure S2:
Deformation grids of wings landmarks of Phlebotomus (Lewisius) breyi n. sp. and Phlebotomus (Lewisius) breyi n. sp. for males and females using Ph. betisi as reference.
<i>Figure S3</i>:
Figure S3:
Representative MALDI-TOF spectra of Ph. sinxayarami n. sp. (A, C) and Ph. breyi n. sp. (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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