Wing geometric morphometrics and COI barcoding of Culex pipiens subgroup in the Republic of Korea

Two members of the Culex pipiens subgroup, Culex pallens and Culex pipiens f. molestus, are known to occur in the Republic of Korea (ROK). These species exhibit morphologically similar features and are challenging to distinguish below the species level. Therefore, this study utilized wing geometric morphometrics (GM) on the right wing of the Culex pipiens subgroup, alongside sequencing of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) region. Mosquitoes were collected from 11 locations between June and October to minimize regional and seasonal variations. Additionally, Culex pipiens f. pipiens, which is not native to the ROK, was included in the analysis. Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Aedes albopictus, and Anopheles sinensis, the primary vectors in the ROK, were used as outgroups for comparison. All three taxa within the Culex pipiens subgroup could be identified with an 82.4%–97.0% accuracy using GM. However, a comparison of the COI regions of the Culex pipiens subgroup revealed no clear differen..., , , # Jiseung Jeon, Dong Yeol Lee, Yewon Jo, Jihun Ryu, Eunjeong Kim, Kwang Shik Choi. Wing geometric morphometrics and *COI* barcoding of *Culex pipiens* subgroup in the Republic of Korea

Pictures of the right wing of an adult female were collected in the Republic of Korea between 2020 and 2022.

## File list (WGM\_ROK\_Jeon et al(2023).zip)

Wing data. Jeon et al.(2023).xlsx

Right Wing (Cx. tritaeniorhynchus)

Right Wing (Cx. pallens)

Right Wing (Cx. p. f. molestus)

Right Wing (An. sinensis)

Right Wing (Ae. albopictus)

## File descriptions

Wing data. Jeon et al.(2023).xlsx - Contains data about the location, date, coordinates, and species.

Right Wing (Cx. tritaeniorhynchus) - Images of the wings of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus

Right Wing (Cx. pallens) - Images of the wings of Cx. pallens

Right Wing (Cx. p. f. molestus) - Images of the wings of Cx. p. f. molestus

Right Wing (An. sinensis) - Images of the wings of An. sinensis

Right Wing (Ae. albopictus) - Images of the wings of A...