Scanning electron microscopic observations of Anopheles albimanus (Diptera: Culicidae) eggs

To investigate the existence of subspecies of Anopheles albimanus Wiedeman in southern Mexico, the egg morphology of specimens obtained from several field populations and from insectary-adapted colonies of uniform pupal phenotype was examined. Scanning electron microscopic observations have shown that the eggs of An. albimanus are polymorphic in respect to the size and shape of their floats, but not in their ornamentation. Four types of eggs were found. Differences in the proportion of the various morphological types were statistically significant, although proportions of egg types were variable among individuals within the same population. These observations are suggestive of distinctive populations and warrant further studies using more sensitive methods to investigate sibling species in An. albimanus sensu lato.