Anopheles (Anopheles) pseudopunctipennis Theobald

Harbach, Ralph E. & Wilkerson, Richard C., 2023, The insupportable validity of mosquito subspecies (Diptera: Culicidae) and their exclusion from culicid classification, Zootaxa 5303 (1), pp. 1-184 : 59

Anopheles (Anopheles) pseudopunctipennis Theobald

subspecies levicastilloi Levi Castillo, 1944 —original combination: Anopheles pseudopunctipennis var. levicastilloi (subspecific status by Leví Castillo 1945). Distribution: Ecuador ( Levi Castillo 1944).

subspecies neghmei Mann, 1950 —original combination: Anopheles pseudopunctipennis ssp. neghmei . Distribution: Chile ( Mann 1950).

subspecies noei Mann, 1950 —original combination: Anopheles pseudopunctipennis ssp. noei . Distribution: Chile ( Mann 1950).

subspecies patersoni Alvarado & Heredia, 1947 —original combination: Anopheles (Anopheles) pseudopunctipennis var. patersoni (subspecific status by Lane 1953). Distribution: Argentina ( Alvarado & Heredia 1947).

subspecies pseudopunctipennis Theobald, 1901c —original combination: Anopheles pseudopunctipennis . Distribution: Aruba, Curaçao, Granada, Margarita Island ( Venezuela), Trinidad and Tobago (historical), Venezuela [to be verified] (revised here).

subspecies rivadeneirai Leví Castillo, 1945 —original combination: Anopheles (Anopheles) pseudopunctipennis var. rivadeneirai (subspecific status by Lane 1953). Distribution: Ecuador ( Leví Castillo 1945).

syn. argentinus Brèthes, 1912 —original combination: Proterorhynchus argentinus .

syn. peruvianus Tamayo, 1907 (in Tamayo & García 1907)—original combination: Anopheles peruvianus .

syn. tucumanus Lahille, 1912 —original combination: Anopheles tucumanus .

Overview. Anopheles pseudopunctipennis sensu lato (herein the Pseudopunctipennis Complex)has a wide distribution from the southern United States to northern Argentina and Chile. In some localities it is an important malaria vector, in others it is seldom attracted to humans ( Rozeboom 1941). This complex belongs to the Pseudopunctipennis Group, which also includes An. chiriquiensis Komp, 1936 , An. eiseni Coquillett, 1902a , An. franciscanus McCracken, 1904 , An. geometricus Corrêa, 1944 , An. hectoris Giaquinto Mira, 1931 and An. parapunctipennis Martini, 1932 ( Reid & Knight 1961). The Pseudopunctipennis Complex (as An. pseudopunctipennis ) has been diagnosed throughout its range in keys and descriptions using the following characters. Female: Maxillary palpus with narrow pale bands at articulations, palpomere 5 pale; scutum with broad silvery gray central area; legs mostly dark and unmarked; costa of wing dark except for subcostal pale and apical pale spots (according to Wilkerson & Peyton 1990), vein R 1 pale except at presector dark, sector dark and subapical dark spots, sector pale spot present at radial crossvein (r 1 -r s), vein Cu pale with postbasal and preapical dark spots, vein 1A pale basally, dark apically except for pale apex, and all posterior veins terminating at pale fringe spots. Male: Aedeagus with 1–3 pairs of small curved serrate leaflets. Larva: Seta 3-C single; 9-M,T about 2 times length of seta 10-M,T; 6-IV,V prominent, plumose; 2-IV single; median plate of spiracular apparatus with a pair of distinctive posterior-directed projections. Egg: Characters vary but an egg with the collar separate from the floats is the character state most cited and illustrated. Currently, not including the nominotypical subspecies, the complex includes five subspecies and three synonyms. We use literature-based morphological, ecological, geographic, cytological and genetic evidence to propose elevation of four subspecies and two synonyms to specific status, and synonymy of one subspecies.We transfer one elevated synonym to nomen dubium because of the lack of a primary type, or any other specimens for study, and a contradictory original description. Two junior synonyms remain associated with one of the elevated synonyms. No subspecies are retained.