Utility of male mosquito hypopygium in species identification

Authors: Kavita Yadav, PK Sarkar and Vijay Veer

Hypopygium is modified ninth abdominal segment present in the majority of insect groups. The male hypopygial structure of the mosquito genera could afford excellent mean of specific identification and might have immense importance in the classification. In the present study male mosquito specimens representing seven different genera namely, Anopheles, Stegomyia, Culex, Mansonia, Hulecoeteomyia, Armigeres and Coquillettidia werecollected from field using CDC miniature light traps and hand collection using aspirators and flash torch. Male mosquitoes were separated, identified based on morphological characters, dissected and examined to record the variability in shape and size of hypopygium among the genera for further confirmation. Based on the difference in the characters of hypopygial structure the collected specimens were identified as Anopheles stephensi, Stegomyia aegypti, Stegomyia albopicta, Stegomyia annandalei, Culex malayi, Culex gelidus, Mansonia uniformis, Armigeres subalbatus, Hulecoeteomyia chrysolineata and Coquillettidia crassipes.

Fig: Anopheles stephensi

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