Comparison of the Mitochondrial Genomes of the Common Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius), Eastern Bat Bug (Cimex adjunctus), and Swallow Bug (Oeciacus vicarius)

• Other Authors: Chilton, Neil
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Cimicidae; bed bug; mitochondria; DNA; genome; phylogeny
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10388/ETD-2015-07-2115

Species within the family Cimicidae (bed bugs) are hematophagous ectoparasites of mammals and birds. Many cimicids are of socio-economic importance. Despite the global resurgence of these pests, there is currently a paucity of information regarding the mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequences of cimicids. Therefore, I used a PCR-based primer walking strategy to amplify and sequence the near complete mitogenome of the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius), and several mitochondrial gene regions of the Eastern bat bug (Cimex adjunctus) and swallow bug (Oeciacus vicarius). I compared the mitochondrial genetic variability between C. lectularius from two populations to look for molecular markers useful for population genetic studies. Furthermore, the mt DNA sequences of these species of medical and veterinary importance were compared to those of other heteropterans to infer the evolutionary relationships of species in the family Cimicidae.