Anopheles annulipes Walker s.l. (Diptera: Culicidae), an under-rated temperate climate malaria vector?

There are no mosquitoes in the genus Anopheles in New Zealand, and any local transmission of malaria would therefore be dependent on the introduction of an exotic vector. All potential malaria vectors in the Australia-Pacific region are tropical species, and are unlikely to survive in New Zealand. The exception is An. annulipes s.l., a complex of Australian mosquitoes which includes several cold tolerant sibling species, some of which are believed to have transmitted malaria in areas with temperate climates (Victoria, New South Wales). If introduced to New Zealand, it is estimated that malaria parasites could develop in this mosquito within three weeks in the north of the North Island. Srcondary cases of malaria could then result from infected travelers in New Zealand. However, the integrity of the health care system is such that affected individuals are likely to be treated rapidly, thereby removing their gametocytes from the pool available to vector mosquitoes. Epidemics of malaria are therefore unlikel...