Classification and diversity of anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) based on the characteristics of the habitats where they were collected in Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina. Journal of Vector Ecology.

PATRICIA GRACIELA RAMIREZ; MARINA STEIN; EDUARDO G. ETCHEPARE; WALTER RICARDO ALMIRÓN

JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY

SOC VECTOR ECOLOGY

Lugar: Idaho, EEUU; Año: 2016

1081-1710

Malaria is considered as the world?s most important parasitic disease, the control of which includes actions directed against its vector, Anopheles mosquitoes. In order to classify Anopheles mosquito species based on common features of their habitats between 2009 and 2012, six habitat types were sampled in the city of Puerto Iguazú. Larval habitat area, water temperature, exposure to sunlight, water permanence, pH, depth and presence of aquatic vegetation were recorded. A total of 900 larvae, belonging to the following six species: Anopheles argyritarsis, An. fluminensis, An. mediopunctatus, An. punctimacula, An. strodei s.l., and An. triannulatus s.l., were collected. A cluster analysis and a Principal Component Analysis detected two groups, one grouping the species of the subgenus Nyssorhynchus and the other grouping species of the subgenus Anopeheles. Each group included species that are vectors in other South American countries. Exposure to sunlight and type of habitat were the characteristics that contributed to explain the grouping of species. Anopheles punctimacula and An. triannulatus s.l. are known to be secondary vectors of malaria. Both species were found in the three sampling sites and therefore, urbanization as well as deforestation pose a potential risk for the transmission of malaria in the area as they contribute to the proliferation of larval habitats for these mosquitoes.