The host-feeding patterns of some culicine mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in The Gambia

Abstract

AbstractA total of 2609 blood-fed females of 23 species of Aedes and Culex was collected, mainly from outdoor resting sites or in unbaited suction traps, at two localities in The Gambia. The host-feeding patterns of the mosquitoes indicated by the results of precipitin tests on the blood-meals were of thiee types: those in which large mammals were the predominant hosts, those where mammals, birds and reptiles were represented and those in which avian feeds predominated. C. tritaeniorhynchus Giles had fed predominantly on cattle, and small numbers of nine species of Aedes had fed on large mammals. C. thalassius Theo. was non-specific in its feeding habits, with feeds from a wide range of mammals and birds and a few reptiles. No evidence was found for a change in the feeding habits of C. thalassius with increasing age. C. poicilipes (Theo.) also fed on mammals and birds. Birds were the primary hosts of C. tigripes Grp. Charm., C. nebulosus Theo./ C. cinereus Theo., C. decens Theo., C. invidiosus Theo. and C. neavei Theo., although the feeds of C. decens included a large proportion on bats.