The African mosquito Anopheles gambiae is the major vector of human malaria. We report a genome-wide survey of mosquito gene expression profiles clustered temporally into developmental programs and spatially into adult tissue-specific patterns. Global expression analysis shows that genes that belong to related functional categories or that encode the same or functionally linked protein domains are associated with characteristic developmental programs or tissue patterns. Comparative analysis of our data together with data published from Drosophila melanogaster reveal an overall strong and positive correlation of developmental expression between orthologous genes. The degree of correlation varies, depending on association of orthologs with certain developmental programs or functional groups. Interestingly, the similarity of gene expression is not correlated with the coding sequence similarity of orthologs, indicating that expression profiles and coding sequences evolve independently. In addition to providing a comprehensive view of temporal and spatial gene expression during the A. gambiae life cycle, this large-scale comparative transcriptomic analysis has detected important evolutionary features of insect transcriptomes.comparative transcriptomics ͉ insect development ͉ insect evolution ͉ microarrays A nopheles gambiae is the major vector of human malaria in subSaharan Africa, a secondary vector of filariasis, and the key vector of O'nyong-nyong viral fever outbreaks. Effective transmission of pathogens results from extreme anthropophilic behavior and repeated bloodfeeding of A. gambiae adult females. Indeed, female mosquitoes are found typically around human habitations and bloodfeed largely on humans rather than animals. Therefore, successful malaria control campaigns to date have coincided largely with local control of Anopheles populations.A substantial bloodmeal is required for A. gambiae egg development, the start of the next life cycle. Eggs are fertilized while traversing the genital chamber and begin embryonic development, which normally lasts 2-3 days and is similar to that of Drosophila melanogaster despite notable morphological (1) and molecular (2) differences. Four larval stages (instars) ensue, as compared with three in Drosophila, accompanied by continuous growth. In that period, larval organs are functional and adult organs incipient or slowly developing. During metamorphosis (from larva to pupa and adult) most larval organs are histolyzed, whereas others persist or grow.To date, molecular and cell biological research on A. gambiae has used D. melanogaster as the model system. These dipterans have diverged from a common ancestor Ϸ250 mya.