Comparison of PCR and cytotaxonomy in the differentiation of Anopheles gambiae sibling species exemplified in mosquito specimens from Cameroon

190 indoor caught mosquitoes from Cameroon belonging to the Anopheles gambiae complex were identified to species level by cytotaxonomy and PCR. An. gambiae s.s. and An. arabiensis occurring sympatrically in two selected collecting areas were found. In approximately 95% of the mosquitoes both techniques came to the same identification result. Advantages and disadvantages of the techniques are discussed.