Abstract
The Anopheles funestus group (Diptera: Culicidae) is one of the main species groups involved in malaria transmission in the Afrotropical regions. Basic research into this group has been limited because its members are eurygamic (they tend not to mate in confined spaces), which makes laboratory colonization difficult. Currently, only a few An. funestus Giles colonies are available and no colonies of other members of the group have been established. As information on the larval biology of members of the An. funestus group is limited, the present study aims to determine the effects of different salt concentrations on survival rates of the aquatic stages of two members of the An. funestus group, Anopheles funestus and Anopheles rivulorum Leeson. There were statistically significant negative trends in hatch rate and larval survival rate in An. funestus with increasing salt concentrations, with no larvae surviving to pupae at concentrations that included >15% seawater. Anopheles rivulorum, by contrast, showed no significant trends in hatch rate or larval survival with increasing salt concentrations. This is the first report on salinity tolerance in An. rivulorum. A basic understanding of these variations in salinity tolerance provides vital information on the biology, ecology and colony rearing of members of the An. funestus group.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
