Key to the females of Afrotropical Anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

Background: In 1987, Gillies and Coetzee published a pictorial key for the morphological identification of adult female mosquitoes. Since then, several new species of anopheline mosquitoes have been described. Methods: The 1987 key to adult female mosquitoes was used as the template for the current key. Results: New species described in the literature over the past 32 years have been included. A list of all currently known Afrotropical species is provided. Anopheles stephensi is included for the first time as occurring on the African continent. Conclusions: An updated key for the morphological identification of Afrotropical anopheline species is presented.