Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association (2001) 17, 186-189

M.A. Caprio, J.-X. Huang, M.K. Faver and A. Moore (2001)
Characterization of male and female wingbeat frequencies in the Anopheles quadrimaculatus complex in Mississippi
Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 17 (3), 186-189
Abstract: Classifying individual mosquitoes of the Anopheles quadrimaculatus species complex to species has always been time consuming and complex, involving genetic analysis and profiling. We characterized the wingbeat frequencies of the 3 species of the Anopheles quadrimaculatus complex (An. quadrimaculatus, An. smaragdinus, and An. maverlius) that occur in Mississippi to determine if this character could successfully distinguish between individuals of the 3 species. Wingbeats of females varied from 320 to 480 beats/sec, but no significant differences in wingbeat frequencies were found among females from 3 populations of the 3 species. Wingbeats of males were higher than those of females (500–770 beats/sec), and the mean wingbeat frequency of An. maverlius was significantly different from the means of An. quadrimaculatus and An. smaragdinus, although overlap occurred at the individual level. Such overlap precludes use of wingbeat frequencies as an identification mechanism, and indicates that, at least for the An. quadrimaculatus complex, wingbeat frequencies are not involved in mate recognition.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Michael A. Caprio

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Anopheles quadrimaculatus		U.S.A. (mid S)
	Anopheles smaragdinus		U.S.A. (mid S)
	Anopheles maverlius		U.S.A. (mid S)