Population genomics of , the principal South American malaria vector mosquito.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
Authors
Abstract

Malaria in South America remains a serious public health problem. () is the most important malaria vector across tropical Latin America. Vector-targeted disease control efforts require a thorough understanding of mosquito demographic and evolutionary patterns. We present and analyze whole genomes of 1094 (median depth 18x) from six South American countries. We observe deep geographic population structure, high genetic diversity including 13 putative segregating inversions, and no evidence for sympatric cryptic taxa despite high interpopulation divergence. Strong signals of selection are plausibly driven by insecticides, especially on cytochrome P450 genes. Our results will facilitate effective mosquito surveillance and control while highlighting ongoing challenges that a diverse vector poses for malaria elimination in the Western hemisphere.

Year of Publication
2026
Journal
Science (New York, N.Y.)
Volume
391
Issue
6792
Pages
1373-1378
Date Published
03/2026
ISSN
1095-9203
DOI
10.1126/science.adw9761
PubMed ID
41886570
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