Mosquito Systematics Vol0 9(3) 1977.323 Names for the AnopheZes gambiae Complex

The AnopheZes gambiae complex is a group of six sibling species. Some of them are major vectors of human malaria and other diseases, Others are of little importance or vary in importance with local conditions. For epidemiological purposes accurate naming is thus essential. One species CAnopheZes gambiae D) is considered entirely new and thus pre-sents no nomenclatorial problem. Another (An, mems D'dnitz 1902) can be equat-ed with reasonable confidence with the type (Paterson 1963, Coluzzi 1964). The remaining four are only partly identifiable except by chromosome banding which does not permit of comparison with the types where these exist. There is, how-ever, widespread agreement as to their probable identity on a variety of evidence which is set out below. It is to be hoped that the names currently considered most appropriate will in future be generally accepted partly in the interest of nomenclatorial stability and partly because it is proposed to supplement the types in question with plesiotype material thereby rendering identification more reliable