Species composition, larval habitats, seasonal occurrence and distribution of potential malaria vectors and associated species of Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) from the Republic of Korea

• Published in: Malaria Journal
• Main Authors: Foley Desmond H, Klein Terry A, Chong Sung-Tae, Kim Heung, Brown Tracy L, Rueda Leopoldo M, Anyamba Assaf, Smith Matthew, Pak Edwin P, Wilkerson Richard C
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2010
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-9-55; https://doaj.org/article/e55a162c51c84b75a695b28e1baab7f6

Abstract Background Larval mosquito habitats of potential malaria vectors and related species of Anopheles from three provinces (Gyeonggi, Gyeongsangbuk, Chungcheongbuk Provinces) of the Republic of Korea were surveyed in 2007. This study aimed to determine the species composition, seasonal occurrence and distributions of Anopheles mosquitoes. Satellite derived normalized difference vegetation index data (NDVI) was also used to study the seasonal abundance patterns of Anopheles mosquitoes. Methods Mosquito larvae from various habitats were collected using a standard larval dipper or a white plastic larval tray, placed in plastic bags, and were preserved in 100% ethyl alcohol for species identification by PCR and DNA sequencing. The habitats in the monthly larval surveys included artificial containers, ground depressions, irrigation ditches, drainage ditches, ground pools, ponds, rice paddies, stream margins, inlets and pools, swamps, and uncultivated fields. All field-collected specimens were identified to species, and relationships among habitats and locations based on species composition were determined using cluster statistical analysis. Results In about 10,000 specimens collected, eight species of Anopheles belonging to three groups were identified: Hyrcanus Group - Anopheles sinensis , Anopheles kleini , Anopheles belenrae , Anopheles pullus , Anopheles lesteri , Anopheles sineroides Barbirostris Group - Anopheles koreicus and Lindesayi Group - Anopheles lindesayi japonicus . Only An. sinensis was collected from all habitats groups, while An. kleini, An. pullus and An. sineroides were sampled from all, except artificial containers. The highest number of Anopheles larvae was found in the rice paddies (34.8%), followed by irrigation ditches (23.4%), ponds (17.0%), and stream margins, inlets and pools (12.0%). Anopheles sinensis was the dominant species, followed by An. kleini, An. pullus and An. sineroides . The monthly abundance data of the Anopheles species from three locations (Munsan, Jinbo and ...