Because of its similarity with otherAnopheles, it is now considered a species complex comprising at least four species. Its genome was sequenced in 2014.[7]
Anopheles sinensis is classified as a species complex, and is a member ofAn. hyrcanus group. The group is distinguished from other groups by the presence of pale bands (usually four) on the palpi and by the presence of a tuft of dark scales on the clypeus on each side in the female adult. It was first described by German naturalistChristian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann in 1828, and became one of the earliest known species ofAnopheles. Due to its similarity with other mosquitos and geographical diversity, the species was redescribed several times by different taxonomists, with names likeAn. yesoensis (1913),An. sineroides (1924),An. lesetri (1936),An. pullus (1937), andAn. yatsushiroensis (1951). These species are considered as either synonyms or members of the species complex.[8][9][10][11]
FemaleAn. sinensishas a dark-coloured body, with its palps are shorter thanproboscis. The integument of the neck region is yellow. The legs are dark-brown on outer surface, but pale on the inside. The base of the leg is swollen towards the body. The wings are covered with dark and pale scales. The tip of the wing has a prominent spot. Larva has an elongated head. Its antennae are about the length of the head, and containing pointed spicules towards the inner side.[12]
Anopheles sinensis is found innortheast India, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kampuchea, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. In India it is reported from Meghalaya, Assam, and Mizoram.[13][14] They are found in all types of environment including naturally-made clean water, stagnant or flowing. Their major habitats are rice fields, ditches, streams, irrigation canals, marshes, ponds, and ground pools. They mostly bite large animals, and human biting is relatively less when animals are present nearby. Their feeding takes place throughout the night from dusk to dawn, but heaviest biting occurs between 2 and 4 in the morning. Even though they are attracted by lights, they prefer to bite outdoor. Theyhibernate mostly under part of dense grasses during October–March. At the end of the hibernation period in March–April they feed during daytime.[1] In August 1962 it was found thatAn. sinensis was a vector of vivax malaria in Korea.[15] It has become one of the major vectors of vivax in China.[16]
The draftgenome sequence ofAn. sinensis was published in 2014. It has 3,972 gene clusters containing 11,300 genes that were common to the genomes of the three previously sequenced mosquito species,An. gambiae,A. aegypti, andCulex quinquefasciatus. It contains 16,766protein-coding genes. 2377 genes had an ortholog belonging to one of the 235 known biological pathways. There are 41microRNA, 348tRNA and 2017rRNA genes.[7]
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^Yang, XS; Fang, TZ; Chen, DH; Cai, GY; Li, MS; Geng, RG (1984). "Preliminary field trials ofRomanomermis jingdeensis againstAnopheles sinensis in the suburbs of Shanghai".Chinese Medical Journal.97 (8):609–12.PMID6440752.
^Anderson, R.C. (2000).Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates Their Development and Transmission (2nd ed.). Wallingford: CAB International. p. 480.ISBN978-0-8519-9786-5.
^Hwang, UW; Tang, LH; Kobayashi, M; Yong, TS; Ree, HI (2006). "Molecular evidence supports thatAnopheles anthropophagus from China andAnopheles lesteri from Japan are the same species".Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association.22 (2):324–6.doi:10.2987/8756-971x(2006)22[324:mestaa]2.0.co;2.PMID16878417.S2CID31180780.
^Yajun, M; Xu, J (2005). "The Hyrcanus group ofAnopheles (Anopheles) in China (Diptera: Culicidae): species discrimination and phylogenetic relationships inferred by ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2 sequences".Journal of Medical Entomology.42 (4):610–9.doi:10.1603/0022-2585(2005)042[0610:thgoaa]2.0.co;2.PMID16119550.S2CID22169339.
^Kaiser, Norbert Becker, Dusan Petric, Marija Zgomba, Clive Boase, Minoo Madon, Christine Dahl, Achim (2010).Mosquitoes and Their Control (2nd ed.). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 340–341.ISBN978-3-5409-2874-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Khan, SA; Dutta, P; Borah, J; Mahanta, J (2013). "Survey of new mosquito species of Meghalaya, India".Journal of Environmental Biology.34 (2):191–5.PMID24620578.
^Zomuanpuii, R; Guruswami, G; Nachimuthu, SK (2014). "A three year study on distribution and ecology of Anophelines in Thenzawl, Mizoram, India".Journal of Environmental Biology.35 (2):369–76.PMID24665764.
