The behaviour of adult Anopheles gambiae, sub-Saharan Africa’s principal malaria vector, and its relevance to malaria control: a review

Abstract Background Mosquitoes of the Anopheles gambiae complex are one of the major vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Their ability to transmit this disease of major public health importance is dependent on their abundance, biting behaviour, susceptibility and their ability to survive long...

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Published in:Malaria Journal
Main Authors: Willem Takken, Derek Charlwood, Steve W. Lindsay
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: BMC 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-024-04982-3
https://doaj.org/article/8910e2519000402e8f99a64f09e061bb
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spelling ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:8910e2519000402e8f99a64f09e061bb 2024-09-09T19:28:27+00:00 The behaviour of adult Anopheles gambiae, sub-Saharan Africa’s principal malaria vector, and its relevance to malaria control: a review Willem Takken Derek Charlwood Steve W. Lindsay 2024-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-024-04982-3 https://doaj.org/article/8910e2519000402e8f99a64f09e061bb EN eng BMC https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-024-04982-3 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/s12936-024-04982-3 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/8910e2519000402e8f99a64f09e061bb Malaria Journal, Vol 23, Iss 1, Pp 1-19 (2024) Anopheles gambiae Behaviour Hearing Mating Olfaction Oviposition Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 article 2024 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-024-04982-3 2024-08-05T17:49:19Z Abstract Background Mosquitoes of the Anopheles gambiae complex are one of the major vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Their ability to transmit this disease of major public health importance is dependent on their abundance, biting behaviour, susceptibility and their ability to survive long enough to transmit malaria parasites. A deeper understanding of this behaviour can be exploited for improving vector surveillance and malaria control. Findings Adult mosquitoes emerge from aquatic habitats at dusk. After a 24 h teneral period, in which the cuticle hardens and the adult matures, they may disperse at random and search upwind for a mate or to feed. Mating generally takes place at dusk in swarms that form over species-specific ‘markers’. Well-nourished females may mate before blood-feeding, but the reverse is true for poorly-nourished insects. Females are monogamous and only mate once whilst males, that only feed on nectar, swarm nightly and can potentially mate up to four times. Females are able to locate hosts by following their carbon dioxide and odour gradients. When in close proximity to the host, visual cues, temperature and relative humidity are also used. Most blood-feeding occurs at night, indoors, with mosquitoes entering houses mainly through gaps between the roof and the walls. With the exception of the first feed, females are gonotrophically concordant and a blood meal gives rise to a complete egg batch. Egg development takes two or three days depending on temperature. Gravid females leave their resting sites at dusk. They are attracted by water gradients and volatile chemicals that provide a suitable aquatic habitat in which to lay their eggs. Conclusion Whilst traditional interventions, using insecticides, target mosquitoes indoors, additional protection can be achieved using spatial repellents outdoors, attractant traps or house modifications to prevent mosquito entry. Future research on the variability of species-specific behaviour, movement of mosquitoes across the landscape, the ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Malaria Journal 23 1
institution Open Polar
collection Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles
op_collection_id ftdoajarticles
language English
topic Anopheles gambiae
Behaviour
Hearing
Mating
Olfaction
Oviposition
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
spellingShingle Anopheles gambiae
Behaviour
Hearing
Mating
Olfaction
Oviposition
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
Willem Takken
Derek Charlwood
Steve W. Lindsay
The behaviour of adult Anopheles gambiae, sub-Saharan Africa’s principal malaria vector, and its relevance to malaria control: a review
topic_facet Anopheles gambiae
Behaviour
Hearing
Mating
Olfaction
Oviposition
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
description Abstract Background Mosquitoes of the Anopheles gambiae complex are one of the major vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Their ability to transmit this disease of major public health importance is dependent on their abundance, biting behaviour, susceptibility and their ability to survive long enough to transmit malaria parasites. A deeper understanding of this behaviour can be exploited for improving vector surveillance and malaria control. Findings Adult mosquitoes emerge from aquatic habitats at dusk. After a 24 h teneral period, in which the cuticle hardens and the adult matures, they may disperse at random and search upwind for a mate or to feed. Mating generally takes place at dusk in swarms that form over species-specific ‘markers’. Well-nourished females may mate before blood-feeding, but the reverse is true for poorly-nourished insects. Females are monogamous and only mate once whilst males, that only feed on nectar, swarm nightly and can potentially mate up to four times. Females are able to locate hosts by following their carbon dioxide and odour gradients. When in close proximity to the host, visual cues, temperature and relative humidity are also used. Most blood-feeding occurs at night, indoors, with mosquitoes entering houses mainly through gaps between the roof and the walls. With the exception of the first feed, females are gonotrophically concordant and a blood meal gives rise to a complete egg batch. Egg development takes two or three days depending on temperature. Gravid females leave their resting sites at dusk. They are attracted by water gradients and volatile chemicals that provide a suitable aquatic habitat in which to lay their eggs. Conclusion Whilst traditional interventions, using insecticides, target mosquitoes indoors, additional protection can be achieved using spatial repellents outdoors, attractant traps or house modifications to prevent mosquito entry. Future research on the variability of species-specific behaviour, movement of mosquitoes across the landscape, the ...
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Willem Takken
Derek Charlwood
Steve W. Lindsay
author_facet Willem Takken
Derek Charlwood
Steve W. Lindsay
author_sort Willem Takken
title The behaviour of adult Anopheles gambiae, sub-Saharan Africa’s principal malaria vector, and its relevance to malaria control: a review
title_short The behaviour of adult Anopheles gambiae, sub-Saharan Africa’s principal malaria vector, and its relevance to malaria control: a review
title_full The behaviour of adult Anopheles gambiae, sub-Saharan Africa’s principal malaria vector, and its relevance to malaria control: a review
title_fullStr The behaviour of adult Anopheles gambiae, sub-Saharan Africa’s principal malaria vector, and its relevance to malaria control: a review
title_full_unstemmed The behaviour of adult Anopheles gambiae, sub-Saharan Africa’s principal malaria vector, and its relevance to malaria control: a review
title_sort behaviour of adult anopheles gambiae, sub-saharan africa’s principal malaria vector, and its relevance to malaria control: a review
publisher BMC
publishDate 2024
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-024-04982-3
https://doaj.org/article/8910e2519000402e8f99a64f09e061bb
geographic Arctic
geographic_facet Arctic
genre Arctic
genre_facet Arctic
op_source Malaria Journal, Vol 23, Iss 1, Pp 1-19 (2024)
op_relation https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-024-04982-3
https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875
doi:10.1186/s12936-024-04982-3
1475-2875
https://doaj.org/article/8910e2519000402e8f99a64f09e061bb
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-024-04982-3
container_title Malaria Journal
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