Anopheles (Cellia) amharicus Hunt, Wilkerson & Coetzee

Coetzee, Maureen, Hunt, Richard H., Wilkerson, Richard, Torre, Alessandra Della, Coulibaly, Mamadou B. & Besansky, Nora J., 2013, Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles amharicus, new members of the Anopheles gambiae complex, Zootaxa 3619 (3), pp. 246-274 : 264-266

Anopheles (Cellia) amharicus Hunt, Wilkerson & Coetzee , sp.n.

Anopheles quadriannulatus species B, Hunt et al. 1998.

Holotype female and associated pupal and larval exuviae. Essentially as in the description of Anopheles coluzzii above with the following additional observations.

Female ( Figs. 4 A–E). Head: Antenna about 1.2 mm. Proboscis 2.05 mm. Maxillary palpus 1.83 mm. Palpomere lengths: 1, 0.1 mm; 2, 0.5 mm; 3, 0.675 mm; 4, 0.35 mm; 5, 0.2 mm. Palpal index (MPlp4 + MPlp5 / MPlp3) 0.81. Subapical dark band (dark portion of MPlp4) 0.25 mm; apical pale band (apical pale of MPlp4 + MPlp5) 0.275 mm (see White 1985). Thorax: Pleura with pale yellow setae on proepisternum (3) prespiracular area (2), prealar knob (4), upper (2) and lower (5) mesokatepisternum and upper mesepimeron (2). Wing: Length 3.75 mm. Pale scales pale yellowish-white. Following costal pale spots absent: basal pale, accessory sector pale. Preapical dark spot on vein R1 with pale interruption. Scales of prehumeral pale spot yellowish brown, slightly darker than other pale spots. Halter: Scabellum and pedicel pale yellow, capitellum dark with dark brown scales. Legs: Forefemur with ventral silvery-white scales and golden-yellow setae. Other than sparse speckling, femora dark. Midtibia with basal pale band; mid- and hindtibiae with apical pale bands; foretibia with apical anterodorsal pale spot. Apices of all tarsomeres with narrow pale bands; bases of foretarsomeres 2–4 with pale bands; fore- and midtarsomere 5 dark, hindtarsomere 5 yellowish. Abdomen: Very pale with golden-yellow setae dorsally, venter with golden-yellow setae changing to brown mesally, lacking small tuft of posteromesal dark setae on sternum VII. Cerci dark brown with dark scales and setae.

Male, allotype. As in An. coluzzii . Proboscis slightly longer than in female (2.5 mm). Pale scales of maxillary palpus yellowish white, less extensive than in An. coluzzii (possibly rubbed). Male genitalia: As in White (1985) except subapical seta of gonostylus less distal than figured.

Pupa ( Figs. 5 A–C). Positions of setae essentially as illustrated for An. bwambae (White 1985) . Branch numbers for holotype in Table 1. Counts of possible diagnostic use in Table 2. Cephalothorax: Evenly lightly pigmented except for darker areas beneath trumpet and mesally on metathoracic wing. Trumpet: Lightly pigmented. Length 0.5 mm; meatus 0.26 mm; pinna 0.24 mm. Abdomen: Length 1.46 mm; evenly lightly pigmented. Seta 9-II–IV peg-like and progressively longer; seta 9-V–VII slender, short to very long, curved inward; seta 9-VIII with many branches or long aciculae. Seta 9 lengths: II, 0.01 mm; III, 0.02 mm; IV, 0.024 mm; V, 0.12 mm; VI, 0.17 mm; VII, 0.19 mm; VIII, 0.17 mm. Paddle: Length from base to seta 1-Pa 0.39 mm, width 0.31 mm. Paddle lightly pigmented; midrib well developed basally, becoming weak about 0.7 from base. Marginal serrations begin about 0.18 mm from base (straight line), abruptly changing to short filaments about 0.75 from base; filaments inconspicuous beyond seta 1-Pa.

Larva ( Figs. 6 A–F). Positions of setae essentially as illustrated for An. bwambae (White 1985) . Branch numbers for holotype in Table 3 . Counts of possible diagnostic use in Table 4. Head: Width 0.82 mm, length 0.68 mm. As in An. coluzzii except dark ventral area not evenly pigmented, with intermixed pale areas. Antenna: Length 0.31 mm, width at widest point 0.04 mm; seta 1-A inserted 0.39 and 0.47 from base, longer than for An. coluzzii , about half antennal width; spicules ventral, sparse, small. Thorax and abdomen: Positions and form of setae essentially as in White (1985) for An. bwambae . Branch numbers for holotype in Table 3 . Seta 1-I reduced palmate with about half number of leaflets as on following segments. Pecten plate: Pecten spines as follow: anterior spine longest, 6 short, 1 long, 3 short, 1 long, 2 short, 1 long; members of each size class not necessarily of equal length (subequal). Denticles of short spines more abundant than in An. coluzzii , some extending nearly to apices of spines.

Egg. Unknown.

Bionomics. Ethiopian populations are strongly associated with cattle, being found abundantly in animal shelters, or mixed human/animal dwellings (White 1974; Hunt et al. 1998; Fettene et al. 2004). Females are rarely found in human only dwellings or artificial pit shelters and are not known to transmit malaria parasites (White 1974; Fettene et al. 2004). Nothing is known about the larval habitats.

Distribution. Known from the following localities in Ethiopia: Bahir Dar 11°36'N, 37°22E, Bako 5°47'N, 36°33E, Bedele 8°27'N, 36°21E, Dejen 10°10'N, 38°08E, Jimma 7°40'N, 36°50E, Omo River 8°13'N, 37°35E.

Etymology. This species is named after Amharic, the official Semitic language of Ethiopia and is derived as a Latinized adjective.

Type series. Type material of An. amharicus was collected resting inside a cattle structure in Babo village (7 ° 42’45.00”N, 3658’00.00”E) outside Jimma, Ethiopia in 01–05.xii.1997. HOLOTYPE female with the following labels: An. quadriannulatu (sic) sp B; Ethiopia, Babo: 01–05.xii.1997 / Cattleshed; Coll. R. Hunt; Det. M. Coetzee; ETH 445.1/ WRBU Digital Image Prep # 2127. Paratypes with the same data as the holotype: collection code 388.1 (4 males, 5 females); collection code 445.1 (3 males, 13 females), including a male labeled as the allotype and a male with dissected slide-mounted genitalia with a WRBU prep label of 12/2. Slide-mounted LePe not directly associated with the adult holotype: collection code 388.1 (3 males, 4 females), collection code 445.1 (2 males, 4 females), a female with WRBU Digital Image Prep # 2125 and a male with WRBU Digital Image Prep # 2126.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Anopheles (Cellia) amharicus sp. n., adult female (holotype, WRBU digital image prep # 2128): A, habitus; B, head, dorsolateral view showing detail of vertex and antennae; C, maxillary palpi; D, thorax, dorsal view; E, wing.

FIGURE 5. Anopheles (Cellia) amharicus sp. n., pupa (paratype, WRBU digital image prep # 2125): A, trumpet showing lengths of meatus and pinna; B, segment VIII, distal, showing form of seta 9; C, paddles.

FIGURE 6. Anopheles (Cellia) amharicus sp. n., larva (paratypes, WRBU digital image preps # 2125 (A – D), # 2126 (F): A, head, dorsal view; B, pecten plate; C, antenna, position of seta 1 - A; D, abdomen, development of palmate setae (1 - I – III); E, head, relative sizes and positions of setae 2 - C and 3 - C; F, thorax, branching of setae 1 – 3 - P.