Phylogeny of the Leucosphyrus Group ofAnopheles(Cellia) (Diptera: Culicidae) Based on Mitochondrial Gene Sequences

We evaluated fragments of the mitochondrial COI and ND6 genes to explore phylogenetic relationships among 13 of the 20 species of the Leucosphyrus Group of Anopheles (Cellia) (Diptera: Culicidae), including all four of the currently recognized complexes. Nucleotide sequence data were analyzed using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods. The results revealed the monophyly of the Leucosphyrus Group and the Hackeri and Riparis Subgroups; however, the Leucosphyrus Subgroup and the Leucosphyrus Complex were recovered as polyphyletic. The monophyly of the Dirus Complex was corroborated by all the analyses but with discordance in the placement of An, balabacensis Baisas. The maximum parsimony strict consensus tree and maximum likelihood topology support the placement of An. balabacensis within the Dirus Complex, whereas the Bayesian topology placed the species as sister to the Hackeri and Riparis clade. Support for the split leading to An. latens Sallum & Peyton and An. leucosphyrus Donitz is not strong; however in the maximum likelihood topology by using PHYML, they were recovered in a basal group within the Leucosphyrus Group.