OBJECTIVES:

Anopheles nuneztovari is a complex of cryptic species that are difficult to distinguish or indistinguishable by morphological criteria, but exhibit relevant biological, ecological, and behavioral differences that may influence malaria transmission and vector control. This study aimed to investigate morphological characteristics that could differentiate species within the Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) nuneztovari complex.

METHODS:

For this purpose, wing morphometric analyses were performed using the programs MorphoJ and PAST on females populations of An. nuneztovari s.l., collected from two municipalities in Pará, two populations of males previously identified as An. nuneztovari s.s and An. goeldii and two external populations of females, Aedes aegypti and An. darlingi.

RESULTS:

Male differentiation and wing sexual dimorphism were observed among mosquitoes of the An. nuneztovari complex. Analysis of the centroid size by ANOVA and Tukey's test showed that the populations of males An. goeldii and An. nuneztovari s.s were significantly different between themselves and from all female populations.

CONCLUSION:

We demonstrated the usefulness of morphometric analyses in studies of medically important culicids and showed that this approach is efficient, fast, and less expensive than genetic characterization and can also be carried out in the field.