Species Discrimination of Stomoxys Flies S. bengalensis, S. calcitrans, and S. sitiens (Diptera: Muscidae) Using Wing Geometric Morphometrics
Issued Date
2023-02-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20762615
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85148901210
Journal Title
Animals
Volume
13
Issue
4
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Animals Vol.13 No.4 (2023)
Suggested Citation
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 Vol.13 No.4 (2023). doi:10.3390/ani13040647 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/81458
Title
Species Discrimination of Stomoxys Flies S. bengalensis, S. calcitrans, and S. sitiens (Diptera: Muscidae) Using Wing Geometric Morphometrics
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
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.