FAUNA OF MOSQUITO LARVAE (DIPTERA: CULICIDA) IN ASIR PROVENCE, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA | ||||
| Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology | ||||
| Article 18, Volume 44, Issue 1, April 2014, Page 173-186 PDF (370.45 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jesp.2014.90729 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
| HAMDY A. AL ASHRY1; MOHAMED A. KENAWY2; MOHAMMED SHOBRAK3 | ||||
| 1Environmental Balance Co., Alrawdah District, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. | ||||
| 2Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt. | ||||
| 3Biology Department, Science College, Taif University, Taif 21974, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| An entomological survey was undertaken for one year to update the mosquito fauna of Asir Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A total of 31 species of 8 genera were reported of which genus Culex (55%) was the most common. Most of collected larvae (59%) belonged to genus Culex (+ Lutzia) followed by Culiseta (26%), Anopheles (13%) and Aedine spp. (2%). Cx. pipiens (39%) and Cs. longiareolata (26. %) were generally the most abundant of all collected larvae. Of the Anopheles spp., An. dthali was common (40%), of Culex spp., Cx. pipiens was predominating (66%) and of Aedine spp., St. aegypti was predominating (71%). Four species: An. fluviatilis, Cx. mattinglyi, Cx. arbieeni and Cx. mimeticus were new reports in Asir Region and Cx. wigglesworthi recorded for the first time from the kingdom. Larvae were more common in low- and highlands than in the moderately altitude areas. In general all species prefer stagnant water but with the exception of Aedine larvae (altogether), the other species prefer presence of algae, vegetation and shade and absence of turbidity (except Culex spp.). A total of 98 different forms of association were reported of which 9 forms were common. All genera breed year round with peaks of abundance during spring for Anopheles spp. and Culex spp. and during winter for Aedine spp. and Cs. longiareolata. A complete list of mosquito fauna of Asir Region comprising 45 spp. was presented based on the present and previous surveys. The study concluded that the occurrence and prevalence of mosquito species mainly the disease vectors in Asir carry the thread of maintaining and transmission of several mosquito-borne diseases. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Mosquito fauna; Mosquito larvae; Relative abundance; Breeding water characteristics; Seasonal abundance; Asir Province; Saudi Arabia | ||||
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