Preliminary observations on the changing roles of malaria vectors in southern Belize

ABSTRACT

A survey for larval and adult anopheles mosquitoes was conducted in Toledo District of southern Belize during August-September 1992. We surveyed for larvae in 145 habitats and conducted paired indoor-outdoor collections of adult mosquitoes landing on humans at 6 houses. In 1940-41, Kumm and Ram reported Anopheles darlingi females to be the most common Anophales mosquitoes inside houses and reported no specimens of Anophales vestitpennis in southern Belize. In our 1992 survey we found no An. darlingi mosquitoes either as adults or larvae. More An. vestitipennis females were captured indoors than outdoors, whereas most Anopheles albimanus and anophales apicimacula females were captured outdoors. All 3 species were represente occasionally in 145 collections of larvae from diverse habitats. Anophales vestitipennis now appears to be potentially important vector of malaria during the wet season in Toledo District (AU)