Biology of Culex sitiens, a predominant mosquito in Phang Nga, Thailand after a tsunami
1 Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Program, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
2 Department of Medical Entomology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
3 Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Public health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Abstract
A tsunami affected area in Phang Nga province, Thailand was explored randomly as some freshwater sites had changed into brackish-water sites. A survey of four areas found Culex sitiens to be the most dominant mosquito species.This mosquito prefers to breed in putrefied water with garbage and it was found in almost every stagnant, brackish-water site in full sunlight. The larval density was more than 300 larvae/dip/250 ml water. Its biting cycle, determined by human landing catch, was nocturnal, with a single peak at 19.00-20.00 hr. The maximum rate was 108 mosquitoes per person/hour. The biology of the mosquito was studied by colonization in natural water under laboratory conditions. The mean number of eggs per raft was 158.1 ± 31.7, hatchability 96.6 ± 4.1%, development from 1st instar larvae to adult was 8.8-11.7 days, and longevity of adult males was 7.3-41.3 days and females 11.0-52.7 days. The ratio of adult males to adult females was 1:1.1 ± 0.2.
Keywords: Culex sitiens; filariasis vector; biting cycle; breeding habitats; colonization; longevity
Correspondence:
a tmspl@mahidol.ac.th,
b tmcpm@mahidol.ac.th,
c tmcaw@mahidol.ac.th,
d phulu@mahidol.ac.th, *Corresponding author
Received: 7 April 2011 | Accepted: 16 December 2011 | Published: 27 January 2012
Copyright: This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed.
ISSN: 1536-2442 | Volume 12, Number 11
Prummongkol S, Panasoponkul C, Apiwathnasorn C, Lek-Uthai U. 2012. Biology of Culex sitiens, a predominant mosquito in Phang Nga, Thailand after a tsuami. Journal of Insect Science 12:11 available online: insectscience.org/12.11
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