SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF ANOPHELINE SPECIES AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH METEOROLOGICAL FACTORS IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN - M. Oneeb; A. Maqbool; M. Lateef; M. E. Babar; M. I. Rashid; N. Ahmad; K. Ashraf (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2016)
The relative abundance of Anopheline species and its relationship with various climatic variables were investigated in Kasur and Shiekhupura districts of province Punjab, Pakistan. Anopheline mosquitoes (n=4973) were captured during the period of November, 2009 to October, 2010. Total six Anopheline species were identified from different localities of both districts. Results shown high relative abundance of An. stephensi (62.5 %) followed by An. subpictus (25.7%), An. culicifacies (5.48%), An. pulcherrimus (3.65%), An. annularis (1.34%) and An. nigerrimus (1.16%) respectively. The month-wise, highest abundance of Anopheline species was seen in the month of July (19.26%) and lowest in December (0.70%). The seasonal abundance of mosquitoes in both districts was higher in the rainy season followed by high abundance at the start of the post monsoon period, i.e. in the months of September (17.21%) and October (13.71%). While there was a decline in the abundance of mosquitoes during the late monsoon period due to decrease in the rainfall and temperature. Moving towards the end of the dry period, it is shown again increase in the surge in mosquitoes i.e. March (4.92%) to June (15.38%) due to increase in rainfall. The results revealed that the population dynamics of Anopheline mosquitoes vary with the change in geographic boundaries, demographic and climatic conditions.
Keywords: journal article; Anopheline species; Monthwise abundance; Seaonal abundance; Kasur; Shiekhupura