In our recent review on genetic and physical mapping in mosquitoes, we discussed the future of mosquito genomics (Severson et al., 2001). We stated that reagents and methodologies were in place for fine-scale mapping in Culicidae and for map-based positional cloning in Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae. We reported that an An. gambiae genome project had been initiated and predicted that there...

A number of mosquito species avoid predator-inhabited oviposition sites by detecting predator-released kairomones. In the laboratory, we found that when offered de-ionized water and de-ionized water conditioned with Notonecta maculata, gravid Anopheles gambiae females preferentially oviposited into the former. We then conducted further experiments using two chemical components found in Notonect...

Malaria in Africa is vectored primarily by the Anopheles gambiae complex. Although the mechanisms of population persistence during the dry season are not yet known, targeting dry season mosquitoes could provide opportunities for vector control. In the Sahel, it appears likely that M-form A. gambiae survive by aestivation (entering a dormant state). To assess the role of eco-physiological change...

Anopheles gambiae, a major vector of malaria, is a complex of cryptic species and subspecies. A new study describes a remarkable behaviour that might contribute to sexual isolation in this species complex: males and females are much more likely to show harmonic convergence of wing beat sounds when courting individuals of the same type.

Elizabethkingia anophelis is a species in the family Flavobacteriaceae. It is a dominant resident in the mosquito gut and also a human pathogen. We present the draft genome sequences of two strains of E. anophelis, R26(T) and Ag1, which were isolated from the midgut of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae.

Anopheles gambiae, the major malaria vector in Africa, can be divided into two subgroups based on genetic and ecological criteria. These two subgroups, termed the M and S molecular forms, are believed to be incipient species. Although they display differences in the ecological niches they occupy in the field, they are often sympatric and readily hybridize in the laboratory to produce viable and...

Anopheles gambiae s.s. Giles (Diptera: Culicidae), the primary African malaria vector, has been characterized at the subspecies level in Madagascar, where only the molecular form S and haplotype gIA occur. The haplotype gIC proposed by other authors was not observed amongst the 35 mosquito genomes sequenced. These S/gIA characteristics are also found on the Comoros archipelago and in continenta...