An Anopheles by Any Other Name …?

Abstract

The physical characteristics of a nematoceran fly that evokes the image of a mosquito of the genus Anopheles Meigen (Diptera: Culicidae) has existed since the genus was defined in the early part of the twentieth century. Is that image likely to change with the recent proposal to elevate four Neotropical subgenera to generic status based on relationships generated by phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial protein-coding genes? Reasons for retaining the traditional concept of Anopheles, with its traditionally recognized subgenera, are presented. However, as the ranking of taxa as genera or subgenera is subjective, the choice of rank of a genus-group name may be considered a subjective decision and a matter of user preference.