Mosquito species, seasonality, abundance, and resting sites in three villages of Peshawar, Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17295588Keywords:
Cattle sheds, habitat, human dwellings, mosquito-borne diseases, mosquito ecologyAbstract
To study adult mosquito species resting sites selection in the study area, they prefer cattle sheds despite the availability of mixed dwellings and human dwellings. Further, to study the relative abundance of different mosquito genera (Culex, Aedes, Anopheles, and Mansonia) in different rural villages, the present research work was carried out in the Entomology Research Laboratory, University of Peshawar, Pakistan. Indoor resting mosquitoes were collected from several shelters (rooms), including human dwellings and cattle sheds in the three rural villages of Peshawar during September 2018 - October 2019. The Flet method was used for capturing all the mosquitoes available in a room. The study conducted in different settlements, including rural areas of Peshawar, yielded a total of 12 species of mosquitoes belonging to four genera (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, and Mansonia). A total of 4,928 (2,306 + 899 + 1,723) adult mosquitoes (2,908 females and 2,020 males) were captured using the Flet method from eighteen shelters, including nine human dwellings and nine cattle sheds, in the three study villages in Peshawar. The abundance of mosquitoes was higher in cattle sheds than in human dwellings; of the total capture, 60% (2,931/4,928) came from the cattle sheds, verifying that cattle sheds were more attractive than the human dwellings. Mosquito abundance was richly reported from cattle sheds, which should be given special attention during any control programme targeting adult mosquitoes. Furthermore, as mosquito increase was apparent during the post-monsoon season, the control measures should be enhanced during this time to ensure maximum protection of the inhabitants.
References
Ali, N., & Rasheed, S. B. (2009). Determination of species composition of mosquitoes found in Palosai stream, Peshawar. Pakistan Entomologist, 31(1), 47–51.
Aslan, B., & Karaca, I. (2012). Comparative diversity of insects in various habitats of Kovada Lake National Park Basin (Isparta, Turkey). Scientific Research and Essays, 7(24), 2160–2167.
Akram, W., Hafeez, F., Ullah, U. N., Kim, Y. K., Hussain, A., & Lee, J. J. (2009). Seasonal distribution and species composition of daytime biting mosquitoes. Entomological Research, 39(2), 107–113.
Barraud, P. J. (1934). The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma, Diptera V, family Culicidae. Tribes Megarhinini and Culicinii.
Clements, A. N. (1999). The biology of mosquitoes (Vol. 2: Sensory reception and behaviour). Springer.
Collantes, F., Delacour, S., Alarcón-Elbal, P. M., Ruiz-Arrondo, I., Delgado, J. A., Torrell-Sorio, A., ... & Lucientes, J. (2015). Review of ten-years presence of Aedes albopictus in Spain 2004–2014: Known distribution and public health concerns. Parasites & Vectors, 8(1), 655.
Christophers, S. R. (1933). The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Diptera. Vol. IV. Family Culicidae. Tribe Anophelini.
Dzieczkowski, A. (1972). Limakowbuczyn pośudniowo-zachodniej Polski (Quantitative researches of the beech malcofauna in south-west of Poland). Studia Ecologica et Faunistica, 35, 243–332.
Burket, N. A. T. H. A. N., Deubanks, M. I. C. K. Y., & Unnasch, T. R. (2008). Preference of female mosquitoes for natural and artificial resting sites. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 24(2), 228.
Graham, K., Mohammad, N., Rehman, H., Farhan, M., Kamal, M., & Rowland, M. (2002). Comparison of three pyrethroid treatments of top‐sheets for malaria control in emergencies: Entomological and user acceptance studies in an Afghan refugee camp in Pakistan. Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 16(2), 199–206.
Gul, S., Khan, K., Sajjad, M., Jamal, M., Ullah, M., Rehman, G., & Ali, A. (2022). Spatial distribution, seasonal abundance and physio-chemical assessment of mosquito larval breeding sites in Mardan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases, 16(1), 34.
Gillet, J. D. (1972). Common Africa mosquitoes and their medical importance. William Heinmann Medical Book Ltd.
Kline, D. L. (2006). Traps and trapping techniques for adult mosquito control. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 22(3), 490–496.
Knight, K. L., & Stone, A. (1977). A catalog of the mosquitoes of the world (Diptera: Culicidae).
Khan, I. A., Din, M. M. U., Hussain, S., Akbar, R., Saeed, M., Farid, A., ... & Shah, R. A. (2015). A study of mosquito fauna of district Upper Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, 3(5), 455–458.
Khan, G. Z., Khan, I. A., Khan, I., & Inayatullah, M. (2014). Outdoor breeding of mosquito species and its potential epidemiological implications in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research, 27(4).
Mwangangi, J. M., Muturi, E. J., & Mbogo, C. M. (2009). Seasonal mosquito larval abundance and composition in Kibwezi, lower eastern Kenya. Journal of Vector Borne Diseases, 46(1), 65.
Ma, M., Huang, M., & Leng,P., (2016). Abundance and distribution of immature mosquitoes in urban rivers proximate to their larval habitats. Acta Tropica, 163, 121–129.
Magurran, A. E. (2004). Measuring biological diversity. Blackwell Science.
Mgbemena, I., Adjeroh, L., & Ebe, T. (2015). Sampling of adult mosquitoes using human bait method, spray-sheet method, and the CDC light trap. Global Journal of Biological Agriculture and Health Sciences, 4(2), 142–150.
Ndiath, M. O., Mazenot, C., Gaye, A., Konate, L., Bouganali, C., Faye, O., ... & Trape, J. F. (2011). Methods to collect Anopheles mosquitoes and evaluate malaria transmission: A comparative study in two villages in Senegal. Malaria Journal, 10(1), 270.
Okorie, T. G. (1978). The breeding site preferences of mosquitoes in Ibadan, Nigeria.
O'Meara, G. F. (1997). Mosquitoes associated with stormwater detention/retention areas. University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, EDIS.
Peiris, J. S. M., & Amerasinghe, F. P. (1994). West Nile fever. In G. W. Beran & J. H. Steele (Eds.), Handbook of zoonoses (Section B: Viral) (pp. 139–148).
Rasool, M., Zahida, M., Khana, K., Khana, M. I., & Ahmada, M. (2018). Species richness and diversity of Vespidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Science Asia, 44(5), 319–324.
Rehman, M., & Muttalib, A. (1967). Determination of malaria transmission in the central part of Karachi city; incrimination of Anopheles stephensi as vector. Pakistan Journal of Health Sciences, 17, 73–84.
Reisen, W. K., Mahmood, F., & Parveen, T. (1982). Seasonal trends in population size and survivorship of Anopheles culicifacies, Anopheles stephensi, and Anopheles subpictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in rural Punjab Province, Pakistan. Journal of Medical Entomology, 19(1), 86–97.
Rowland, M., Hewitt, S., Durrani, N., Bano, N., & Wirtz, R. (1997). Transmission and control of vivax malaria in Afghan refugee settlements in Pakistan. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 91(3), 252–255.
Rosen, L., Shroyer, D. A., Tesh, R. B., Freier, J. E., & Lien, J. C. (1983). Transovarial transmission of dengue viruses by mosquitoes: Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 32(5), 1108–1119.
Ryan, P. A., Lyons, S. A., Alsemgeest, D., Thomas, P., & Kay, B. H. (2004). Spatial statistical analysis of adult mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) counts: An example using light trap data, in Redland Shire, southeastern Queensland, Australia. Journal of Medical Entomology, 41(6), 1143–1156.
Rydzanicz, K., & Lonc, E. (2003). Species composition and seasonal dynamics of mosquito larvae in the Wrocław, Poland area. Journal of Vector Ecology, 28(2), 255–266.
Sengil, A. Z., Akkaya, H., Gonenc, M., & Gonenc, D. (2011). Species composition and monthly distribution of mosquito (Culicidae) larvae in the Istanbul metropolitan area, Turkey. International Journal of Biological and Medical Research, 2(1), 415–424.
Suleman, M., Khan, K., & Khan, S. (1993). Ecology of mosquitoes in Peshawar valley and adjoining areas: Species composition and relative abundance.
Shah, M. Z. (1997). Seasonal abundance of indoor resting mosquitoes in two rural localities of KP, Pakistan. Department of Zoology, University of Peshawar, 286-A, 1–59.
Sauer, F. G., Jaworski, L., Lühken, R., & Kiel, E. (2020). Impacts of sampling rhythm and exposition on the effectiveness of artificial resting shelters for mosquito collection in northern Germany. Journal of Vector Ecology, 45(1), 137–141.
Stephenson, I., Roper, J., Fraser, M., Nicholson, K., & Wiselka, M. (2003). Dengue fever in febrile returning travellers to a UK regional infectious diseases unit. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 1(2), 89–93.
Sharma, V. P., & Dev, V. (2015). Biology & control of Anopheles culicifacies Giles 1901. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 141(5), 525–536.
Silver, J. B. (2008). Mosquito ecology: field sampling methods. Springer.
Trojan, P. (1992). Analiza struktury fauny. Memorabilia Zoologica, 47.
Tusting, L. S., Thwing, J., Sinclair, D., Fillinger, U., Gimnig, J., Bonner, K. E., ... & Lindsay, S. W. (2013). Mosquito larval source management for controlling malaria. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (8).
Waldock, J., Chandra, N. L., Lelieveld, J., Proestos, Y., Michael, E., Christophides, G., & Parham, P. E. (2013). The role of environmental variables on Aedes albopictus biology and chikungunya epidemiology. Pathogens and Global Health, 107(5), 224–241.
World Health Organization. (2007). Flooding and communicable disease facts sheet.
Younas, S., Zahid, M., Ullah, M., Sajid, M., Khan, M. I., Attaullah, S., & Khan, K. (2024). Spider diversity in different habitats at district Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Brazilian Journal of Biology, 84, e283767.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
JWB applies the 