Distribution, abundance, feeding behaviour, host preference, parity status and
human-biting and infection rates are among the medical entomological parameters
evaluated when determining the vector capacity of mosquito species. To evaluate these
parameters, mosquitoes must be collected using an appropriate method. Malaria is
primarily transmitted by anthropophilic and synanthropic anophelines. Thus,
collection methods must result in the identification of the anthropophilic species
and efficiently evaluate the parameters involved in malaria transmission dynamics.
Consequently, human landing catches would be the most appropriate method if not for
their inherent risk. The choice of alternative anopheline collection methods, such as
traps, must consider their effectiveness in reproducing the efficiency of human
attraction. Collection methods lure mosquitoes by using a mixture of olfactory,
visual and thermal cues. Here, we reviewed, classified and compared the efficiency of
anopheline collection methods, with an emphasis on Neotropical anthropophilic
species, especially Anopheles darlingi, in distinct malaria
epidemiological conditions in Brazil.