Utility of subspecies in mosquito taxonomy (Diptera: Culicidae)

The subspecies rank in taxonomy is a practical device for studying population samples of species that are not geographically uniform. Recently, Harbach and Wilkerson (2023) have proposed elimination of all subspecies of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) by elevating most of them to the rank of species. Here, we outline key issues in their arguments and argue that subspecies are biologically meaningful and are useful in practical taxonomy. We provide examples of medically relevant taxa where the proposed elevation of subspecies to species are problematic. To avoid taxonomic confusion, particularly for medically important taxa, we suggest that the subspecies names of mosquitoes that existed prior to Harbach and Wilkerson (2023) should remain at subspecies rank until sufficient evidence exists to suggest otherwise.