First detection of Anopheles stephensi Liston, 1901 (Diptera: culicidae) in Ethiopia using molecular and morphological approaches

Molecular and morphological results confirm specimens were An. stephensi. The closest high scoring hit was for all specimens was for the An. stephensi sequence. Independent phylogenetic analyses of COI and ITS2 sequences revealed in both cases strong bootstrap (100) support for our sequence forming a clade with other An. stephensi sequences to the exclusion of any other species of Anopheles. In conclusion, Anopheles stephensi is present in Kebri Dehar town in Ethiopia. These findings highlight the need for additional research to examine the role of An. stephensi in malaria transmission in Ethiopia.