Mosquito species distribution and larval breeding habitats with taxonomic identification of Anopheline mosquitoes in Korea

Abstract

AbstractIn 2005, adult and larval mosquito surveillance was conducted at selected sites in Korea to associate larval habitats with species distribution of mosquitoes of the Anopheles Hyrcanus Group (An. sinensis, An. lesteri, An. pullus, An. belenrae and An. kleini) and other mosquito species. Anopheles specimens belonging to the Anopheles Hyrcanus Group were identified to species level by molecular confirmation using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)‐2 within nuclear ribosomal (r)DNA. A total of 6644 mosquitoes from resting and light trap collections (4451; 67.0%) and larval collections (2193; 33.0%) comprising 32 species and nine genera (Culex [11], Anopheles [8], Ochlerotatus [5], Aedes [3], Armigeres [1], Coquillettidia [1], Mansonia [1], Tripteroides [1] and Lutzia [1]) were collected. Larval habitats were characterized into 14 categories. Of a total of 4534 Anopheles spp. collected (3766 resting and light trap collections and 768 larval collections), Anopheles sinensis (3194; 70.4%) was the most frequently captured, followed by An. kleini (813; 17.9%), An. pullus (299; 6.6%) and An. belenrae (129; 2.8%). Four species of Anopheles (An. lesteri, An. sineroides, An. koreicus and An. lindesayi) were infrequently collected (<3.0%) at all sites surveyed by all methods of collection. Anopheles kleini, An. pullus and An. belenrae were collected in greater proportions in malaria high‐risk areas north of Seoul, and were infrequently collected in other parts of Korea, where An. sinensis was the predominant Anopheles spp. captured. A total of 2110 culicine mosquitoes (685 adult collections and 1425 larval collections) comprising 24 species and eight genera were collected.