Seasonal abundance, biting cycle, and parity of the mosquito anopheles homunculus in Trinidad, West Indies

Seasonal abundance, daily biting activity, and the age composition of adult Anopheles homunculus female populations were monitored weekly during 1989-90 by human bait on the ground at Cumaca Forest, Platanal, Trinidad. Landing collections of An. homunculus showed diurnal and nocturnal activity, with a single peak between 1600 and 2000 hours. Overall, 27.7 percent of An. homunculus were collected during the dry season and 72.3 percent during the wet season. Similar seasonal parous rates were observed in wet (58.9 percent) and dry (56.1 percent) seasons. Diel periodicities of nullipars and pars were almost identical during the wet and dry seasons(AU)

Observations on the seasonal incidence and diel oviposition periodicity of Haemagogus mosquitoes (Diptera culicidae) in Trinidad, W. I. II. Heamagogus equinus Theobald

Diel patterns of oviposition of sylvan Haemagogus equinus in the field in Trinidad, West Indies, were monitored weekly for 53 consecutive weeks using standard ovitraps. During the wet season (September to November 1981 and May to September 1982) a large well-defined unimodal peak (comprising 97 percent of all eggs laid and 89 percent of occurrences) occurred at 12.00-14.00 hours, four to six hours before sunset. During the dry season (December 1981 to May 1982), two small less-well-defined peaks occurred at 10.00-12.00 and 14.00-16.00 hours (comprising 4.9 percent of eggs laid and 14 percent of occurrences). A diurnal oviposition pattern was observed when the wet and dry season data were combined. The number of eggs and occurrences found during the wet season was significantly higher (P greater than 0.001) than that observed during the dry season. (AU)

Investigation of microfilarial periodicity

Clinical studies showed that Hetrazan given during the day caused an increase in blood parasite count, while exercise and administration of oxygen lead to a decrease. No significant changes were noted when vagal function was altered (AU)