Data from: Wing geometric morphometrics and molecular assessment of members in the Albitarsis Complex from Colombia

Malaria parasites are transmitted to humans by female mosquitoes of the
genus Anopheles. The Albitarsis Complex harbours at least eight species
not readily differentiable by morphology. This complicates the
determination of those species involved in malaria transmission and the
implementation of targeted and effective vector control strategies. In
Colombia, there is little information about the identity and distribution
of the Albitarsis Complex members. In this work, COI DNA barcoding was
used to assign specimens Anopheles albitarsis s.l. to any of the
previously designated species of the Albitarsis Complex. Two molecular
operational taxonomic units (MOTUs), differentially distributed in
Colombia, were detected, A. albitarsis I in the NW and NE, and A.
albitarsis F, E and NE Colombia. In contrast, nuclear white gene and ITS2
sequence analyses did not allow differentiating between the MOTUs. Wing
landmark-based geometric morphometrics applied to explore intertaxa
phenotypic heterogeneity showed a subtle but significant difference in
size, while shape did not allow the separation of the MOTUs. In general,
the multiple marker analysis was not supportive of the existence in
Colombia of more than one species of the Albitarsis Complex.