fauna and frequency of different mosquito species [diptera: culicidae] in Zanjan Province, 2002-2003

ABSTRACT

Mosquitoes are the most important blood feeding insects with high health and medical significance. Zanjan province forms one of the most important permanent mosquito habitats. With regard to different aspects during past three decades, antiquity of past surveys, necessity of control programs against mosquito-borne diseases, this study was conducted to determine the fauna of mosquito species in Zanjan during 2002-2003. In this descriptive study the adult mosquitoes were collected from 5 fixed indoor and outdoor areas near larval habitats of Zanjan, Mahneshan, Tarom, Abhar and Khodabandeh districts. Sampling was carried out ten times at intervals of 15 days during September through October [2002] and June through August [2003] by pyrethrum space spray [PSS] and light traps [LT], while larvae were collected by hand catch. Collected samples were examined under microscope and identified according to standard keys. In this study 16743 mosquitoes were collected using PSS method. Over 74% of the collected mosquitoes [12549] were Anopheles maculipennis complex and 21% [3520] Culex theileri; Cx. pipiens, Culiseta longiareolata. An. superpictus and Cs. subochrea were the other mosquito species and consisted of 4.2% [674] of the samples. Around 3723 larvae [3-4th instars] were also collected from constant larval habitats. Cx. theileri larvae included 68.25% [2541] while approximately 16% of the larvae [607] belonged to An. maculipennis complex, An. superpictus 8.4% [313], Cs. longiareolata 3.2% [132], Cx. laticinctus 2.8% [90] and Cx. hortensis 0.8% [29]. An. hyrcanus and Cs. subochrea were also found scarcely which numbered 9 and 2 respectively. Like PSS method, 47273 adult mosquitoes were collected by light trap from July to September, out of which 87.92% were Cx. theileri and 11.12 An. Maculipenins. Ecologic and molecular studies on various populations of Anopheles maculipennis, An. Superpictus, and Culex theiler are recommended. The Species An. Hyrcanus, Cx laticinctus Cx. Hortensis, Cs. longiareolata and Cs. Subochrea species should be taken into consideration in differential diagnosis of the provinces' species