Culex neavei theobald, as a possible transmitter of hepatozoon matruhensis to the Egyptian snake psammophis schokari

ABSTRACT

Stained smears of Culex neavei females infected with Hepattozoon matruhensis from Psaininophis schokari and kept at 20 +/- 1°C showed the complete developmental stage of the parasite. However, no detection of sporozoites was monitored when females were kept at 30 +/- 1°C. A successful infection of P hokari was carried out in the laboratory by C. neavei bites. The effect of infection on the mosquito longevity was insignificant [p > 0.05] under low temperature and highly significant [p < 0.001] under high temperature. The mortality rate was slightly affected at 20 +/- 1°C, but greatly affected at 30 +/- 1°C