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An Anopheles by Any Other Name …?
1Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK.
Journal of Medical Entomology
|July 19, 2018
Summary
The traditional image of Anopheles mosquitoes may change due to proposals to reclassify subgenera as genera. This taxonomic debate hinges on phylogenetic analyses, but the final decision remains subjective.
Area of Science:
- Entomology
- Molecular Phylogenetics
- Taxonomy
Background:
- The genus Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) has a long-established physical and taxonomic concept.
- Recent phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial protein-coding genes propose elevating four Neotropical subgenera to generic status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate whether the proposed taxonomic changes impact the traditional concept of the Anopheles genus.
- To present arguments for retaining the current classification of Anopheles, including its subgenera.
Main Methods:
- Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial protein-coding genes.
- Review of taxonomic and nomenclatural principles.
Main Results:
- Phylogenetic data support the reclassification of certain Anopheles subgenera.
- Arguments are presented for maintaining the traditional Anopheles genus concept.
Conclusions:
- The ranking of taxa (genus vs. subgenus) is inherently subjective.
- The choice of rank for genus-group names is a matter of user preference and taxonomic philosophy.
