About Coetzees Key
A digital reference for the morphological identification of Afrotropical Anopheles mosquitoes.
The Application
This tool is a digital adaptation of the 2020 dichotomous key by Coetzee et al., designed to modernize how entomologists and field researchers identify mosquito vectors.
By transforming complex morphological descriptions into an interactive, step-by-step workflow, we aim to reduce identification errors and make expert-level taxonomy accessible on digital devices in the lab and field.
Key Features
- Interactive decision steps
- High-resolution diagnostics
Geographic Scope
Covers the entire Afrotropical region, including mainland sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, the Comoros, and regional islands.
Methodology
Uses standard morphological characters including wing scaling, leg banding patterns, and palpal ornamentation to distinguish between species and species complexes.
Primary Reference
Coetzee, M. (2020)
"Key to the females of Afrotropical Anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)"
Malaria Journal, 19:70