The Microhabitat Ecology of <i>Culex quinquefasciatus</i> (SAY) and <i>Anopheles gambiae</i> in Some Parts of Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

The effective control of malaria through larva source management requires the information on the breeding sites.This study investigated the ecology of mosquito larva in Sagbama town. The breeding sites of mosquitoes were identified in five locations. Mosquito larva in each breeding sites was collected into labeled containers using standard procedures. Morphological identification of larva followed standard procedures. Two hundred and twenty mosquito larva were collected from six microhabitats; motor tyres, dumpsites, gutter, containers, water pools and block holes. Species compositions were Culex quinquefasciatus (67.0%) and An. gambiae (32.94%). The differences of mosquito species across microhabitats were significant (F =12.8231, df=1, p< 0.05). The larva productivity in each of the breeding sites varies with the mosquito species. Culex quinquefasciatus in the order of increasing abundance across microhabitats were dumpsites (92.3%), water pools (61.2%), motortyres (57.3%), gutter (57.0%) and block holes (46.3%). An. gambiae were more abundant in block holes (58.7%), followed by motor tyres (44.7%) and least in dumpsite (7.7%); An. gambiae vary significantly across the breeding sites (F =5.8715, df=16, p< 0.05). The breeding adaptability of these mosquitoes to wide range of microhabitats is an indication that thereare increase transmission foci of filariasis and plasmodiasis in the rural communities.