Análisis morfométrico soporta la presencia de Anopheles (Nyssorynchus) albitarsis F (Diptera: Culicidae) en Venezuela, importante vector de los parásitos maláricos

Abstract

The wide distribution of Anopheles albitarsis F in Venezuela has been confirmed recently, a species of the Albitarsis Complex yet to be formally described. Morphometric studies are essential to develop illustrated keys for species identification. To contribute to the morphologic characterization of Anopheles albitarsis F from Venezuela, a traditional morphometric analysis was conducted based on the wings and hind legs of natural adult populations of mosquitoes collected in 4 localities in the malaria foci of Bolívar State and
one population from Guárico, in the center of the country. The study was complemented with the analysis and comparison among
the same morphologic characteristics in the identified species of the Complex: A. albitarsis, A. deaneorum, A. janconnae, A. marajoara and
A. oryzalimnetes, deposited in the collection of the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Smithsonian Institution, USA. The length of prehumeral dark spot divided by the humeral spot (PHD/HP) on wing Costal vein was confirmed as a valid diagnostic characteristic to
separate the species analyzed (p < 0,0001). The length of the basal dark spot on hind tarsomere 2 divided by the length of tarsomere 2
(DS-III2 /Ta-III2 ) showed significant differences (p < 0,0001) making it possible to separate all species except A. deaneorum. This study supports the presence of A. albitarsis F in Venezuela; it is possible to separate this mitochondrial lineage from the other species within the Complex based on the diagnostic characters on the wings PHD/HP and on the legs DS- III2 /Ta-III2
.