Description of New Morphological Variation of Culex(Culex) coronatorDyar and Knab, 1906 and First Report of Culex(Carrollia) bonneiDyar, 1921 Found in the Central Region of Peru

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) pose a significant threat to public health worldwide, especially in tropical and subtropical regions, where they act as primary vectors in transmission of infectious agents. In Peru, 182 culicid species have been identified and several species of the genus Culexare known to transmit arboviruses. However, knowledge of mosquito diversity and distribution remains limited, with many studies focusing on specific regions only. Here, we describe a new morphological variation of Cx.(Culex) coronatorDyar and Knab, 1906, and report the presence of Culex(Carrollia) bonneiDyar, 1921 in the central region of Peru, Huanuco. Specimens were obtained through larvae collections and identified through morphologic characterization, including dissection of male genitalia, and molecular analyses. In total, 17 mosquitoes were analyzed, and the genitalia of the male specimens allowed the identification of Cx. coronatorand Cx. bonnei. Partial sequences of the CoxIgene corresponding to these two species were obtained (N= 10). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the sequences of Cx. coronatorgrouped in a monophyletic clade with sequences ascribed to other species corresponding to the subgenus Carrollia, while Cx. bonneispecimens formed a monophyletic clade with homologous sequences from GenBank. This study underscores the importance of continued efforts to study the diversity and distribution of mosquitoes in Peru, including their potential role as vectors of human pathogens, to underpin effective disease control and prevention strategies, highlighting the importance of a complemented morphological and molecular analysis.