Hey, Kai

[Adios]

Scientists have identified a new type of mosquito.

It is a subgroup of Anopheles gambiae, the insect species responsible for most of the malaria transmission in Africa.

Researchers tell Science magazine that this new mosquito appears to be very susceptible to the parasite that causes the disease - which raises concern.

The type may have evaded classification until now because it rests away from human dwellings where most scientific collections tend to be made.

Dr Michelle Riehle, from the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, and colleagues made their discovery in Burkina Faso, where they gathered mosquitoes from ponds and puddles near villages over a period of four years.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12352565


Heard of this?




Pretty little thing.

[Kai]

No, but I'm pretty familiar with A. gambiae. Like the quote says, it's the biggest vector of the apicomplexan parasites that cause malaria, Plasmodium spp. We've known for quite some time about some groups of mosquitoes are more or less competent at vectoring Plasmodium, even within what we consider to be interbreeding populations within the same species taxon.

One of my colleagues works with mosquitoes, and she says that mosquito taxonomy and classification is a total mess, thus resulting in cryptic groups like the one in the article going unnoticed for large amounts of time. Thanks for posting this, Charlie.