Assessing macrogeographic genetic structure of Lutzomyia longipalpis complex populations in Brazil

Lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of Leishmania infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the Neotropical realm. Its taxonomic status has been widely discussed once it encompasses a complex of species. The knowledge about the genetic structure of insect vector populations helps the elucidation of components and interactions of the disease ecoepidemiology. Thus, the objective of this study was to genotypically analyze populations of the Lu. longipalpis complex from a macrogeographic perspective using Illumina Amplicon Sequencing to detect polymorphisms for two nuclear genes (cacophony and period) and mitochondrion 12s rDNA .This new sequencing method allowed us to study different molecular markers after a single sequencing run, and to evaluate population and inter-species differences on a macrogeographic scale.