Summary ²

Anopheles /əˈnɒfɨliːz/ (Greek anofelís: good-for-nothing) is a genus of mosquito first described and named by J. W. Meigen in 1818. About 460 species are recognized; while over 100 can transmit human malaria, only 30–40 commonly transmit parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which cause malaria in humans in endemic areas. Anopheles gambiae is one of the best known, because of its predominant role in the transmission of the most dangerous malaria parasite species (to humans) – Plasmodium falciparum.

Depicted here: Anopheles punctipennis Members of this genus are not naturalized in Hawaii but have been occasionally found over the last century.

Sources and Credits

1. Public Health Image Library, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://phil.cdc.gov/PHIL_Images/7861/7861_lores.jpg
2. Adapted by Durrell D. Kapan from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anopheles

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• Field/Photo ID for Flies
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Systema Dipterorum

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