Geometric Morphometry

Dataset of the work entitled: Assessing the Impact of Different Scale Removal Methods on the Geometric Morphometrics of Aedes aegypti Wings
Hematophagous insects, such as some Aedes species, have high potential for transmitting serious diseases like dengue, yellow fever, and lymphatic filariasis. Correct identification and study of these mosquitoes are vital for public health in arbovirus control; however, success depends on solid research. Recently, increasing studies use geometric morphometrics to elucidate questions about biological shape, shape variation, and shape covariation in mosquitoes. Wings are commonly targeted for these analysis; however, some species, such as those in the Aedes genus, have dark spots or many scales on these structures, impairing morphological visualization of veins and potentially causing analysis errors. The aim of this work was to test different treatments used in literature for removing wing scales from Aedes aegypti, and evaluate through geometric morphometrics, if these different treatments can modify the wing venation morphometric pattern of Ae. aegypti. The treatments were wing agitation in mineral water and NaOH (sodium hydroxide) saline solution using a mini-ultrasound, and manual wing scale removal using a zero (0) tip brush. Additionally, we propose an alternative method for mounting wings on slides using glycerin.