title: Geographic distribution, evolution, and disease importance of species within the Neotropical Anopheles albitarsis Group (Diptera, Culicidae).
abstract: The Anopheles albitarsis group of mosquitoes comprises eight recognized species and one mitochondrial lineage. Our knowledge of malaria vectorial importance and the distribution and evolution of these taxa is incomplete. We constructed ecological niche models (ENMs) for these taxa and used hypothesized phylogenetic relationships and ENMs to investigate environmental and ecological divergence associated with speciation events. Two major clades were identified, one north (Clade 1) and one south (Clade 2) of the Amazon River that likely is or was a barrier to mosquito movement. Clade 1 species occur more often in higher average temperature locations than Clade 2 species, and taxon splits within Clade 1 corresponded with a greater divergence of variables related to precipitation than was the case within Clade 2. Comparison of the ecological profiles of sympatric species and sister species support the idea that phylogenetic proximity is related to ecological similarity. Anopheles albitarsis I, An. janconnae, and An. marajoara ENMs had the highest percentage of their predicted suitable habitat overlapping distribution models of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax, and warrant additional studies of the transmission potential of these species. Phylogenetic proximity may be related to malaria vectorial importance within the Albitarsis Group.
authors.affiliation: Division of Entomology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, U.S.A.; Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Smithsonian Institution, Museum Support Center, Suitland, MD 20746, U.S.A.. foleydes@si.edu.
authors.forename: Desmond H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: Yvonne-Marie
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Linton
authors.forename: J Freddy
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Lopez
authors.forename: Jan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Conn
authors.forename: Maria Anice M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sallum
authors.forename: Marinete M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Póvoa
authors.forename: Eduardo S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Bergo
authors.forename: Tatiane M P
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Izis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sucupira
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wilkerson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000502:physiology*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004463:Ecology; D010802:Phylogeny
keywords: Albitarsis Group; Mosquito; SEEVA; ecological niche models; malaria; phylogenetics