Setting an old record straight: does Anopheles melanoon really occur in the Netherlands? (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

Anopheles melanoon has appeared on species lists for the Netherlands since a 1969 publication reported its presence based on egg and larval morphology. However, this identification predated the recognition of almost entire morphological overlap among many members of the Anopheles maculipennis complex. This complex includes eleven sibling species in the Palearctic that are distinguishable primarily through molecular markers. Recent taxonomic revisions have shown that egg morphology varies considerably within species and are not strictly diagnostic for these species. Furthermore, current data restrict the confirmed distribution of An. melanoon to southern Europe and the Black Sea area. This article re-evaluates the historic Dutch record in light of modern taxonomy and concludes that the inclusion of An. melanoon on the Dutch species list is no longer justified.