There exist around 3,300 species of mosquitoes belonging to different genera: Aedes, Culex, Anopheles, etc.. Among the latter, only the Anopheles are potentially capable of transmitting human malaria. There are known to be 422 species of anophelines in the world, among which 68 have been associated with the transmission of the four forms of human malaria. In Africa and the Indian Ocean, only around ten species are concerned. Certain of these species may also transmit Bancroft’s filariasis and arboviruses.

The importance of the Anopheles mosquito is illustrated in areas such as New Zealand, New Caledonia, Micronesia, Polynesia, where the Anopheles mosquitoes are absent and which, for this reason, are malaria free. 

It should be noted the world "anopheles" corresponds to the Latin Anopheles, designating a genus of mosquito, the recommended abbreviation of which is An.