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The larvae and pupae of a new species, Simulium ( Nevermannia) immaculatum sp. nov., are described from Korea. Descriptions are supplemented with photographs of larvae and pupae and habitat information. The new species can be distinguished from other Asian members of the S. vernum group by the cephalic plate and thorax of the pupa devoid of tubercles, 4 pupal gill filaments lying close together, larva with postgenal cleft shorter than postgenal bridge, spot under ocellus absent, and rectal papillae with three simple lobes with single digit-like small secondary lobule basally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study investigating the role of black flies with filarial larvae in the transmission of zoonotic onchocerciasis in Oita, Japan. It reports that two types of infective larvae, based on their morphology, were recovered from Simulium bidentatum, the dominant anthropophilic black-fly species. The type B of the larva was identified as Onchocerca dewittei japonica, the causative agent of zoonotic onchocerciasis, while type A is an unknown distinct Onchocerca species. It remarks that the study is the first on reporting the molecular identification of infective larva of Onchocerca species found in wild-caught black flies and that S. bidentatum plays as the vector in transmitting zoonotic onchoceriasis due to O. dewittei japonica in Japan.

The article focuses on a study distinguishing the morphologically similar species of Onchocerca of wild boar, the causative agent of human zoonotic onchocersiasis in Japan, by the differences in its mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene. It presents the methodology including specimen collection, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the partial mitochondrial CO1 gene region and data analysis. It reports that the length of CO1 gene region in O. dewittei japonica and O. sp. was 649 basepairs (bp) and the specific nucleotide differences range from 8.8 to 9.4%. It remarks that the study provided clear difference between the two species suggesting that mitochondrial CO1 gene region is an appropriate gene marker for species identification.

The species status of two cytoforms of two species complexes in the Simulium (Simulium) tuberosum species-group, which are almost indistinguishable in the pupal stage, was morphologically and genetically evaluated. Cytoform 'L' of the S. (S.) tani Takaoka & Davies complex, previously recognized as S. (S.) suzukii Rubtsov in Taiwan, is described as a new species, S. (S.) jianshiense. It is morphologically distinguishable as adults from two members of the S. (S.) suzukii complex: cytoform 'C' from Hokkaido, selected to represent the type of S. (S.) suzukii sensu stricto, and cytoform 'D' from Okinawa Island and, based on our chromosomal analysis, also from Amami Island. This new species is genetically separated from both cytoforms of the S. (S.) suzukii complex with a genetic distance of 5.31-6.67%. Cytoform 'D' is distinguished from cytoform 'C' by the color of the male forecoxa and relative length of the female sensory vesicle to the third maxillary palpomere. Accordingly, the name S. (S.) ryukyuense Ogata, once regarded as a synonym of S. (S.) suzukii, is revalidated and applied to cytoform 'D'. The genetic distance between S. (S.) ryukyuense and S. (S.) suzukii sensu stricto is 1.24-1.60%., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: Camp Zama, Japan, and the associated military housing and depot storage areas have been occupied by the US military for over 50years. The military base has experienced less urbanization and development during those 50years when compared to the surrounding cities of Zama and Sagamihara. We present an annotated comparative checklist of historical records of biting flies (mosquitoes, black flies, biting midges, stable flies, and horse flies) with recent collections. Overall 24 species of biting flies have been reported from Camp Zama, with 17 of these species collected during the last 5years. Vectors of human and veterinary pathogens were collected including Anopheles sinensis, Aedes albopictus, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Simulium bidentatum. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]