Mosquito Studies (Dipera: Culicidae) 34. A Revision of the Albimanus Section of the Subgenus Nyssorhynchus of Anopheles. (Contributions of the American Entomological Institute. Volume 15, Number 7, 1980)
Abstract
Zavortink (1973:4), when he was reviewing the subgenus Kerteszia of Anopheles, stated, ". . . the systematics of Nyssorhynchus are too poorly known and hopelessly confused." In 1942, L. E. Rozeboom (1942b) used only one couplet in a key to the adult females for 9 different species in the Albimanus Section. The reason for this, as the pioneering work of W. H. W. Komp (1942:25-26) and Rozeboom recognized, is that many of the characters that have been used to distinguish the adult females in the Albimanus Section are extremely variable and unreliable for species identification. On the basis of one character alone it is often impossible to identify with any confidence an adult female as belonging to a particular species in this section, which includes several important vectors of malaria. The purpose of this revision is (1) to describe and illustrate, in detail, all the currently known species in the Albimanus Section, (2) to reconcile some of the systematic problems that have resulted in this aura of confusion and (3) to develop effective keys that use more than one character, when possible, for all stages of the life cycle for the species in this section. I am subdividing the subgenus Nyssorhynchus into 2 sections, the Albimanus Section and the Argyritarsis Section. These sections are very closely allied and form a tight, well-defined unit. The entire subgenus is restricted to the Neotropics except for albimanus which extends into the Nearctic. The Albimanus Section is distinguished from the Argyritarsis Section in the adults primarily by the basal dark band on hindtarsal segment 5, and in the male genitalia by the variously developed fused ventral claspette. Only on the basis of these 2 characters can these sections be readily differentiated. The Myzorhynchella group has been excluded from consideration because of the paucity of material available for study and because of its uncertain taxonomic position. In the present revision 14 species are recognized.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA512217
Entities
People
- Michael E. Faran
Organizations
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research