Genus Anopheles

a-NOFF-uh-leez

the only nearctic member of the subfamily Anophelinae(1)

Greek an 'without' + ophelos 'useful, helpful' = useless, harmful

14 spp. in 2 subgenera in our area(2), >450 spp. in 7 subgenera worldwide(1); 6 spp. in Canada

Adults: long palps (almost as long as proboscis), rounded (not trilobed) scutellum, slender, long-legged appearance.

Larvae: no breathing tube, body positioned parallel to water surface at rest

Cosmopolitan(1)

Larvae chiefly in ground pools, marshes, and places with considerable vegetation

Eggs are laid directly on the water surface; each egg has a set of flotation sacks to prevent it from sinking. Most spp. overwinter as adults, but some (e.g. A. walkeri) overwinter as eggs

the genus includes numerous sibling species that can only be identified using genetic techniques. About 70 spp. worldwide are vectors of the protozoan Plasmodium that causes malaria, but only about 40 are important. Malaria affects 300-500 million and kills 1.5-2.7 million people each year, making it by far the most serious of the diseases spread by insects.

[text copied from web page at Iziko Museums of Capetown, South Africa]

Some species are vectors of the canine heartworm Dirofilaria immitis that causes dog heartworm disease.

Genus page(3)

CDC

U. Florida