Collaborative research: integrating phylogenomics and traits to reveal the ECO-evolutionary range dynamics of anopheline mosquitos

The National Science Foundation Division of Environmental Biology awarded the Smithsonian Institution $294,190 on August 1, 2026, under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to develop the first comprehensive evolutionary and ecological framework for anopheline mosquitoes, the primary vectors of malaria and other zoonotic diseases.

The project integrates phylogenetic and genomic approaches with morphological and ecological data to map the geographic range, dispersal abilities, and environmental limits of anopheline species. Deliverables include an open-access digital atlas of anopheline mosquitoes hosted by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and peer-reviewed research outputs. The framework enables public health agencies, mosquito control districts, and military preparedness programs to anticipate where new mosquito-borne disease threats will emerge rather than respond after outbreak detection. The project trains a postdoctoral fellow, graduate students, and undergraduates in genomics, biodiversity informatics, and public health entomology.

Performance runs from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2029, with work performed at the Smithsonian Institution's Washington, DC location (20560).

Abstract

An integrated phylogenomic, morphological, and ecological framework for anopheline mosquitoes anopheline mosquitoes are among the deadliest animals on earth, serving as key vectors for many zoonotic illnesses, including but not limited to malaria. The world health organization estimates that malaria alone caused 610,000 deaths and 282 million cases worldwide in 2024, most of them children in sub-saharan africa. The threat posed by mosquitoes is likely to continue expanding as invasive species such the asian malaria mosquito, have now spread to at least nine african countries, fueling urban malaria outbreaks where the disease was previously rare. Continued human disturbance is extending mosquito ranges into previously uncolonized regions, including parts of the united states. Despite the known risks posed by anopheline mosquitoes, IT is surprising how little is known about this group. Fewer than 75 of the 489 described anopheline species have been tested for their ability to transmit human pathogens and basic information about their evolutionary relationships, dispersal abilities, and environmental limits is limited. As a result, new disease threats are typically recognized only after they emerge. This project builds the first comprehensive evolutionary and ecological framework for anopheline mosquitoes, enabling public health agencies, mosquito control districts, and military preparedness programs to anticipate where new potential mosquito-borne disease threats will arise rather than react to them after the fact. The project also produces an open-access digital atlas hosted by the smithsonian national museum of natural history and trains a postdoctoral fellow, graduate students, and undergraduates at the intersection of genomics, biodiversity informatics, and public health entomology. The project integrates phylogenetic and genomic approaches with quantitative trait analyses across the subfamily anophelinae to identify lineage specific drivers of geographic range expansion. Drawing on museum and contemporary collections from the smithsonian national museum of natural history, the natural history museum (london), the bishop museum, the university of queensland insect collection, and the national ecological observatory network, the research team will sequence ~1,000 specimens spanning nearly all recognized groups including potential species complexes. Whole genome and reduced representation sequencing will recover single copy nuclear orthologs. These will serve as a basis for reconstructing a coalescence-based time calibrated phylogeny along with detection of potential introgression. High resolution micro CT imaging will quantify thoracic musculature and wing architecture to generate functional morphological-based dispersal metrics for each lineage. Curated global occurrence records linked to climate and land cover data will delineate the niche breadth of lineages in relation to propensity for establishment. Phylogenetic comparative analyses will test whether traits hypothesized to drive range expansion coevolve in repeatable suites across the tree and can be used for a predictive basis for likelihood of continued expansion. The project advances NSF priorities in biotechnology through high throughput sequencing of archival and contemporary specimens, and in artificial intelligence through machine learning pipelines for automated specimen label digitization, georeferencing, and image based trait extraction. Outcomes will be disseminated through repositories including gbif, ncbi, and morphosource, and through a new, smithsonian hosted anopheline atlas portal. Structured engagement, including workshops will help assure the armed forces pest management board, mosquito control districts, and public health agencies can use findings generated for improved operational surveillance. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.