RNA Virome of mosquito vectors collected across a rural to urban habitat gradient in Thailand

In this study, we characterized RNA viruses and other microorganisms in pools of individuals of three common but overlooked vector species in Thailand: Armigeres subalbatus, Culex fuscocephala, and Mansonia uniformis, collected from three habitat types along a previously characterized rural to urban gradient. Our full factorial design (all three mosquito species were collected at all three sites) allows us to explicitly determine the relative importance of host species and habitat in structuring viral communities. In addition, to maximize the sensitivity of NGS, we tested a laboratory method to deplete host ribosomal RNA, and increase the relative proportion of microbial genetic material prior to sequencing.