Abstract

This guide to the identification of the adults of the anopheline mosquitoes of Indonesia, which apparently was prepared by W. J. Stoker and R. Waktoedi Koesoemawinangoen, is not set up as a conventional dichotomous key but is a list of species, each of which is accompanied by notes on the principal taxonomic characters and by diagrammatic illustrations of the palpi, proboscis, wing, hind leg and occasionally of other pertinent recognition characters. Notes on breeding habits and relation to malaria are included. The arrangement of the species is not entirely in phylogenetic order, but the species and subspecies are grouped in accordance with their similarity in appearance so that a person using the guide in identifying material can make comparisons easily. Seventy-six species and subspecies are considered. This reviewer does not agree with all the authors' interpretations regarding specific and subspecific status, and the fact that there is still basis for disagreement among taxonomists shows that much interesting research remains to be done in these anophelines with their insular distributions, especially if approached from the point of view of the “new systematics.”