Population structure of the malaria vector Anopheles funestus in Senegal based on microsatellite and cytogenetic data

The study of chromosomal inversions distribution within natural Anopheles funestus populations from West Africa revealed high levels of genetic structuring. In Burkina Faso, this was interpreted as evidence for incipient speciation, and two chromosomal forms were described, namely ‘Folonzo’ and ‘Kiribina’. Assignation of field collected specimens to one chromosomal form depends upon application of an algorithm based on chromosomal inversions. We assessed relevance and applicability of this algorithm on An. funestus populations from Senegal, where both forms occur. Furthermore, we estimated the level of genetic differentiation between populations using microsatellite loci spread over the whole genome. Significant genetic differentiation was revealed between geographical populations of An. funestus, and the pattern observed suggested isolation by distance. Chromosomal heterogeneity was not detected by microsatellite markers. Thus, although incipient speciation could not be ruled out by our data, our results suggest that differential environmental selection pressure acting on inversions should be considered a major factor in shaping their distribution in wild An. funestus populations.