Mosquito breeding and resting in treeholes in a forest ecosystem in Orissa.

Abstract

During a longitudinal study in the deciduous monsoon forest in northwest Orissa, 16 species belonging to Genera Anopheles (2), Culex (3), Aedes (8), Armigeres (1), Orthopodomyia (1) and Toxorhynchites (1) were found breeding in the treeholes, while 20 species including disease vectors An. culicifacies, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Ae. albopictus, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus and Cx. vishnui were found resting. The study showed that so far malaria vectors have not exploited the breeding potential of treeholes but Aedes albopictus, vector of dengue/ dengue haemorrhagic fever in Asia, was one of the main species breeding and resting in the treeholes. The paper describes seasonality, interspecific association and some new species breeding/resting in treeholes in Orissa.