The palpal ratio method compared with PCR to distinguish between Anopheles gambiae s.s. and A. melas from Guinea Bissau, West Africa

We compared the palpal ratio method with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to distinguish between Anopheles gambiae s.s. and A. melas. At the end of the rainy season of 1995, female mosquitoes were collected indoors in the Antula area of Bissau, Guinea Bissau. A subsample of 354 mosquitoes were identified first with PCR and then with the palpal ratio method (study A). Subsequently, another 195 mosquitoes were identified first with the palpal ratio method and then with PCR (study B). The highest percentage (100%, n=16) of correctly identified A. melas was obtained at the palpal ratio cut-off point of 0.83. However, at this point 4.0% (14/347) and 11.3% (21/186) of the A. gambiae were erroneously identified as A. melas in study A and B, respectively. This suggests that the palpal ratio method is not sufficiently reliable to distinguish between A. gambiae and A. melas from the Bissau area.