Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
(
Sinka et al., 2012
). In addition to its sympatric range with
An. culicifacies
s.l.
and
An. fluviatilis s.l.
over India,
An. stephensi
was predicted to occur in
Afghanistan and Pakistan, where it was sympatric with
An. superpictus
.
The sources for the following summary can be found in
Sinka et al.
(2011)
and
Sinka et al. (2010a)
.
The DVS cover a large range of varying ecological niches and the
presence of a large number of species complexes in the region means
that variation in behaviours are often seen. Indeed, behavioural variability
within a species is also common, for example,
Anopheles annularis
has a range
extending across India, down through South-East Asia, across many of the
Indonesian islands and Timor Island. However,
An. annularis
only has a focal
role in malaria transmission in selected areas of India. Elsewhere it is con-
sidered of little importance.
The Indian DVS have overlapping, sympatric ranges and include a num-
ber of species complexes. For example, there are five sibling species in the
An. culicifacies
complex (species A, B, C, D and E) and although species A, C,
D and E are all reported to be vectors of malaria in India (
Sinka et al., 2011
),
species E is the most important because of its highly anthropophilic and
endophilic behaviour. Members of the complex are found across the plains
and up into the highlands (
Iyengar, 1954
;
Barik et al., 2009
). Larval habitats
include a variety of man-made and naturally occurring water bodies and
tolerance of brackish water has been observed in species E (
Roberts, 1996
).
Species C shows plasticity in its behaviour, being found in both forested and
deforested areas. Varied bionomics are therefore observed both within and
among members of this species complex.
The other primary Indian DVS are
An. fluviatilis s.l.
and
An. stephensi
.
Variable behaviour is observed amongst the three members of the Fluvia-
tilis Complex (species S, T and U). Within the complex, there are reports
of anthropophilic, zoophilic and exo- and endophagic populations, bit-
ing at dusk and during the night.
Anopheles stephensi
is primarily zoophilic
and endophagic, and both
An. fluviatilis s.l.
and
An. stephensi
rest primarily
indoors.
Anopheles stephensi
is unusual amongst
Anopheles
species in that it
appears to be able to use virtually any water condition/habitat as a larval
site, hence, its success in urban areas. Less is known regarding the larval
habitats of
An. fluviatilis s.l.
, but the complex is associated with slow-moving
streams or river margins.
Amongst the northern Asia DVS,
An. sinensis s.l.
and
An. superpictus
are
considered potential primary vectors of
P. vivax
. InThailand, members of the
An. sinensis
complex are considered zoophilic and exophagic, and therefore,
