1. Malaria entomology training Morphological identification of Anopheles Mosquitoes
Accra,
Ghana
July 2015

2. Main malaria vectors in Africa
Anopheles gambiae s.l.
Anopheles funestus group
Other vectors and potential vectors:
An. pharoensis, An. nili, An. coustani, An. moucheti, An. rivolurum etc

3. Members of Anopheles gambiae s.l.
An. gambiae and An. coluzzi (formerly S and M forms)[An. gambiae s.s.): Mainly anthropohilic and endophilic, breeds in fresh water
An. arabiensis: Mainly zoophilic and exophilic, breeds in fresh water
An.melas (vector in coastal west Africa): breeds in saline water
An. merus (vector in coastal east Africa): breeds in saline water
An. bwambae (vector in Uganda): mineral spring
An. quadriannulatus and An. amharicus (are zoophilic and non-vectors)

4. General morphology of an adult mosquito

5. Differences between male and female mosquitoes
Female mosquito differ from males by there antennae.
In females the hairs on the antenna are very few and short, while in males the hairs are long and bushy moustache-like appearance.

6. Heads of male and female anopheline and culicine mosquitoes

7. Fig: 2 Male mosquito showing long hairs and bushy
Moustache-like in appearance.

8. Fig: 3 Female mosquito showing very few and short hairs on
the antenna.

9. Resting positions of anopheline and culicine mosquitoes.
Anopheline mosquitoes can be distinguished from culicine mosquitoes by their resting position.
Anophelines mosquitoes rest at an angle to the surface, while culicines rest more or less parallel to the surface as shown below.

10. Fig: 5 pictures of Anopheles gambiae species resting at an angle
Fig: 6 pictures of Culex species resting more or less parallel to the surface.

11. Differences between Anopheles and Culicine mosquitoes with regard to the wings
Anopheline mosquito wings are spotted with dark and pale areas on the veins.
For the culicine mosquitoes, the wings have veins, but it is transparent, without spots on them.

13. Identification of Anopheles mosquitoes to species
Gilles and Coetzee, 1987

14. Head

15. Palps

16. Wings

18. Legs

19. Abdomen

20. Anopheles gambiae s.l. (Section IV)

22. Anopheles gambiae s.l. x x
Abdominal segments with no laterally projecting tufts of scales
Hind tarsus of the last two segments not pale
Legs speckled
Palps with 3 pale bands
3rd main dark area of 1st vein with a pale interruption x x

23. Anopheles gambiae s.l. after Evans, 1927

24. Anopheles gambiae s.l Speckled legs Palp with 3 bands
Last 2 segments of hind tarsus not pale entirely

25. 3rd main dark area on vein 1 with pale interruption

26. Anopheles funestus group Anopheles nili (Section XI)

29. Section XI (common features)
Abdomen without laterally projecting tufts of scales
Hind tarsus 4 & 5 not entirely pale
Legs not speckled
Palps with less than 4 bands and pale at apex
Costa with at least 1 pale spot on basal half
No pale interruption on 3rd main dark area of vein 1
Mosquitoes with 1 pale spot on vein 5.1

32. Anopheles funestus group
Abdomen without laterally projecting tufts of scales
Hind tarsus 4 and 5 not pale
Legs not speckled
Palps with less than 4 bands and pale at apex
Costa with at least 1 pale spot on basal half
No pale interruption on 3rd main dark area of vein 1
One pale spot on vein 5.1

33. Anopheles funestus group (Cond.)
Palps with 3 pale bands
Pale banding on hind tarsus narrow and apical only
Preaccessory dark spots absent on vein 1
Basal area of vein one entirely pale
Subapical pale band on palps much narrower than subapical dark band
Small species, wing 3.3 mm or less
Tip of vein 6 dark, no 6th fringe spot

35. Anopheles implexus Anopheles pharoensis Anopheles squamosus
Mosquitoes with laterally projecting tufts of abdominal scales (commonly found species) –Section I
Anopheles implexus
Anopheles pharoensis
Anopheles squamosus

38. Anopheles pharoensis (male)

39. Mosquitoes with hind tarsal segments 4 & 5 entirely white; abdomen without laterally projecting tufts of scales (common species) - Section II
Anopheles maculipalpis
Anopheles pretoriensis
Anopheles paludis
Anopheles coustani
Anopheles rufipes
Anopheles hancocki
Anopheles tenebrosus

44. Anopheles coustani (Hind Tibia and tarsal segments)

45. Anopheles rufipes

46. Anopheles rufipes