Morphology of the larvae,male genitalia and DNA sequences of Anopheles (Kerteszia) pholidotus (Diptera: Culicidae) from Colombia

Since 1984, Anopheles (Kerteszia) lepidotus has been considered amosquito species that is involved in the transmission of malaria in Colombia, afterhaving been incriminated as such with epidemiological evidence from a malariaoutbreak in Cunday-Villarrica, Tolima. Subsequent morphological analyses of femalescaptured in the same place and at the time of the outbreak showed that the speciesresponsible for the transmission was not An. lepidotus, but ratherAnopheles pholidotus. However, the associated morphologicalstages and DNA sequences of An. pholidotus from the foci ofCunday-Villarrica had not been analysed. Using samples that were caught recently fromthe outbreak region, the purpose of this study was to provide updated and additionalinformation by analysing the morphology of female mosquitoes, the genitalia of malemosquitoes and fourth instar larvae of An. pholidotus, which wasconfirmed with DNA sequences of cytochrome oxidase I and rDNA internal transcribedspacer. A total of 1,596 adult females were collected in addition to 37 larvalcollections in bromeliads. Furthermore, 141 adult females, which were captured fromthe same area in the years 1981-1982, were analysed morphologically. Ninety-five DNAsequences were analysed for this study. Morphological and molecular analyses showedthat the species present in this region corresponds to An.pholidotus. Given the absence of An. lepidotus, even inrecent years, we consider that the species of mosquitoes that was previouslyincriminated as the malaria vector during the outbreak was indeed An.pholidotus, thus ending the controversy.