Polish Journal of Entomology (Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne) (2005) 74, 7-14

S. Gupta and S. Chaudhry (2005)
SEM study on the egg surface architecture of Anopheles (Cellia) splendidus KOIDZUMI (Culicidae: Diptera)
Polish Journal of Entomology (Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne) 74, 7-14
Abstract: The presence of sibling species in the genus Anopheles MEIGEN necessitates the use of a multiple-technique system of identification. Since the chorionic sculpturing of the egg is species-specific, the SEM study of the egg surface is one of the important parameters that help in recognizing the differences between species and their subspecific variants The present paper is the first ever description of the eggs of A. splendidus, which is an important taxon of the subgenus Cellia THEOBALD because of its sympatric co-dominance with some of the vector species of malaria, such as Anopheles stephensi LISTON, A. culicifacies GILES and A. maculatus THEOBALD. This study revealed that the eggs of the analyzed population of Anopheles splendidus are boat-shaped and are similar to the eggs of other members of the subgenus Cellia in general characters, like the presence of lobed tubercles, variation in the deck tubercles along deck length, and distribution of pores in the plastron covering the dorsal surface. However, the eggs of the present species can be easily differentiated from other sympatric species by the presence of a broad and unrestricted deck, having the same width throughout the ventral egg length.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Anopheles splendidus