PCR Based identification of Culex pipiens complex (Diptera: Culicidae) collected in Al-Najaf governorate

Total genomic DNA was extracted from the whole mosquitoes according to the manufacturer’s modified insect DNA extraction protocol. The amplification of the acetylcholinesterase-2 (ace-2) locus by specific primer in a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and the flanking region of the CQ11 microsatellite methods were successfully employed to detect the genetic variation between Cx. pipiens complex mosquitoes, PCR technique was applied on 200 individually adults Cx. pipiens complex mosquitoes collected from underground and aboveground of breeding sites from Najaf governorate using diagnostic primer sets for Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. pipiens and Cx. molestus. The Agarose gel Electrophoresis results of PCR assay were revealed that Cx. quinquefasciatus species was distributed at percentage reached 68% followed by Cx. molestus at percentage 24% and 1.33 % for Cx. pipiens. Hybrids between Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. pipiens were 5.33% whereas hybrids between Cx. pipiens and Cx. molestus were limited. One of the important results of the present study was that the molecular analysis and by this technique can be detected levels the degree of hybridization between close related species for Cx. pipiens complex. The results based on PCR revealed that Cx. molestus species was most abundant than Cx. pipiens and specimens of Cx. molestus were obtained commonly from underground and rarely from aboveground