DNA barcoding as a tool supporting species identification and molecular phylogeny for Indian Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae: Anophelinae)

Genetic diversity in cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) among 15 species of Anopheles mosquitoes from India from other geographical regions of the world was recorded. Barcoding analysis revealed a clear gap between intraspecific and interspecific distances for these 15 species. Genetic distances of Anopheles species adequately differentiated the species in a global context. The phylogenetic tree revealed separate clades for all the included species. It can be concluded that standard barcode region is helpful for identifying Anopheles mosquitoes. Also, a combination of multi-locus approaches and morphology is also suggested to identify species of this genus.