Abstract
BackgroundLarval mosquito habitats of potential malaria vectors and related species of Anopheles from three provinces (Gyeonggi, Gyeongsangbuk, Chungcheongbuk Provinces) of the Republic of Korea were surveyed in 2007. This study aimed to determine the species composition, seasonal occurrence and distributions of Anopheles mosquitoes. Satellite derived normalized difference vegetation index data (NDVI) was also used to study the seasonal abundance patterns of Anopheles mosquitoes.MethodsMosquito larvae from various habitats were collected using a standard larval dipper or a white plastic larval tray, placed in plastic bags, and were preserved in 100% ethyl alcohol for species identification by PCR and DNA sequencing. The habitats in the monthly larval surveys included artificial containers, ground depressions, irrigation ditches, drainage ditches, ground pools, ponds, rice paddies, stream margins, inlets and pools, swamps, and uncultivated fields. All field-collected specimens were identified to species, and relationships among habitats and locations based on species composition were determined using cluster statistical analysis.ResultsIn about 10,000 specimens collected, eight species of Anopheles belonging to three groups were identified: Hyrcanus Group - Anopheles sinensis, Anopheles kleini, Anopheles belenrae, Anopheles pullus, Anopheles lesteri, Anopheles sineroides; Barbirostris Group - Anopheles koreicus; and Lindesayi Group - Anopheles lindesayi japonicus. Only An. sinensis was collected from all habitats groups, while An. kleini, An. pullus and An. sineroides were sampled from all, except artificial containers. The highest number of Anopheles larvae was found in the rice paddies (34.8%), followed by irrigation ditches (23.4%), ponds (17.0%), and stream margins, inlets and pools (12.0%). Anopheles sinensis was the dominant species, followed by An. kleini, An. pullus and An. sineroides. The monthly abundance data of the Anopheles species from three locations (Munsan, Jinbo and Hayang) were compared against NDVI and NDVI anomalies.ConclusionThe species composition of Anopheles larvae varied in different habitats at various locations. Anopheles populations fluctuated with the seasonal dynamics of vegetation for 2007. Multi-year data of mosquito collections are required to provide a better characterization of the abundance of these insects from year to year, which can potentially provide predictive capability of their population density based on remotely sensed ecological measurements.
Highlights
Larval mosquito habitats of potential malaria vectors and related species of Anopheles from three provinces (Gyeonggi, Gyeongsangbuk, Chungcheongbuk Provinces) of the Republic of Korea were surveyed in 2007
The Whirl-Pak® was tightly closed to retain air, placed in a cooler, and brought to the laboratory where most larvae were directly preserved in 100% ethanol for molecular identification; the remaining larva were individually link-reared to adult stage, as morphological voucher specimens for this work
Species composition A total of about 285 batches of Anopheles larval samples were collected from different locations in the Republic of Korea (ROK) (Figure 1), and about 10,000 larvae were retrieved and identified to species by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays (2,000 larvae) and sequences (8,000 larvae)
Summary
Larval mosquito habitats of potential malaria vectors and related species of Anopheles from three provinces (Gyeonggi, Gyeongsangbuk, Chungcheongbuk Provinces) of the Republic of Korea were surveyed in 2007. Satellite derived normalized difference vegetation index data (NDVI) was used to study the seasonal abundance patterns of Anopheles mosquitoes. Anopheles mosquitoes of the Republic of Korea (ROK) belong to subgenus Anopheles in three groups, namely Hyrcanus, Barbirostris and Lindesayi. The Hyrcanus Group comprises about 30 species worldwide, of which six species are known in the ROK, namely Anopheles belenrae, Anopheles kleini, Anopheles sinensis, Anopheles sineroides, Anopheles pullus and Anopheles lesteri [1,2]. Preliminary data suggest that An. pullus and An. kleini are the primary vectors of Plasmodium vivax malaria near the demilitarized zone (DMZ), while An. sinensis is a secondary vector [4]. The other remaining two Anopheles species are not considered to be malaria vectors in the ROK [4]
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