We examined the survivorship of Anopheles gambiae s.l. Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae and habitat productivity in three major habitat types in the western Kenya highlands. The age-specific distribution was determined for larvae and pupae, and survivorship curves were constructed. Larval-to-pupal survivorship was 6.8% in drainage ditches, 4.3% in cow hoofprints, and 1.8% in disused goldmines,...

BACKGROUND The mosquito, Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles is a prevalent and confirmed Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV) vector. This vector, in association with Aedimorphus arabiensis (Patton), was responsible for causing the outbreak of 2000 in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Larval occurrence records and a total of 19 bioclimatic and three topographic layers imported...

Microbes are important for mosquito nutrition, growth, reproduction and control. In this study, we examined bacterial communities associated with larval mosquitoes and their habitats. Specifically, we characterized bacterial communities associated with late larval instars of the western encephalitis mosquito (Culextarsalis), the submerged portions of two emergent macrophytes (California bulrush...

In biological modeling, accurate modeling of the life cycle of an organism needs to account for the complexity of the organism, as well as the interactions between the organism and its environment. Mosquitoes are an organism commonly modeled as a vector for disease transmission. A wide range of habitats, depending on species and location, make mosquitoes an interesting and challenging organism ...

The study focuses on the analysis of population genetic structure of Culex quinquefasciatus from various larval habitats using RAPDPCR. The population differentiation parameters, genetic distances, molecular variance and cluster analysis were done using POPGENE, GenALEx and MEGA softwares. Out of 140 RAPD primers screened, four primers exhibited distinct RAPD banding patterns showing up to 100%...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Despite the increasing number of reported autochthonous malaria cases in Nouakchott and the identification of Anopheles arabiensis as the major malaria vector in this Saharan city, anopheline larval habitats have never been identified so far. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize anopheline larval habitats in Nouakchott. METHODS During September ...

An apparatus designed for sampling small mosquito larval habitats is described. Comparisons of this device with other designs reveal a five-fold improvement in fluid transfer efficiency.

Remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) data can be used to identify larval mosquito habitats and predict species distribution and abundance across a landscape. An understanding of the landscape features that impact abundance and dispersal can then be applied operationally in mosquito control efforts to reduce the transmission of mosquito-borne pathogens. In an effort to better u...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES A study was conducted to characterise larval habitats and to determine spatial heterogeneity of the Anopheles mosquito larvae. The study was conducted from May to June 1999 in nine villages along the Kenyan coast. METHODS Aquatic habitats were sampled by use of standard dipping technique. The habitats were characterised based on size, pH, distance to the nearest house,...

The larval habitats of the mosquito Aedes aegypti L (Diptera-Culicidae) were investigated in urban Dar es Salaam, using larval traps (old tyres, vegetations, outdoor water storage containers and flower pots). The study was carried out in the four sampling sites namely, Vingunguti, Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA), Mbagala and Mkuranga (Vikindu). The aim was to assess the influence of...