R. Natarajan

MOSQUITOES OF THE MANGROVE FORESTS OF INDIA: PART 1—BHITARKANIKA, ORISSA

ABSTRACT In this first paper of a series on mosquitoes of the mangrove forests of India, details of mosquito species recorded in Bhitarkanika, Orissa, are presented. Forty-three species of mosquitoes belonging to 21 subgenera and 13 genera, Aedes, Anopheles, Armigeres, Coquillettidia, Culex, Ficalbia, Heizmannia, Lutzia, Mansonia, Ochlerotatus, Toxorhynchites, Uranotaenia, and Verrallina, were recorded. Predominant larval habitat was the tree holes, from which 15 species were taken. Adults were mostly found resting in crab holes, tree holes, and hoof prints in the forest area and on walls in the guesthouse area. About 14 species were caught in light traps, while 19 species landed on humans for feeding. Ae. franciscoi and Oc. feegradei are 2 new country records for India. Ae. cancricomes and Cx. perplexus, known only from Andaman Islands of India, are new records for mainland India.

A LIST OF THE MOSQUITOES HOUSED IN THE MOSQUITO MUSEUM AT THE VECTOR CONTROL RESEARCH CENTRE, PONDICHERRY, INDIA

ABSTRACT The establishment of a mosquito museum at the Vector Control Research Centre, Pondicherry, India, is reported. The collection at present contains more than 14,800 adult mosquitoes, including 8,426 that are individually pinned. The collection also includes some 1,048 male and female genitalia preparations, and 815 larval and 444 pupal exuviae on microscope slides. Mosquitoes of 19 genera, 37 subgenera, and 181 species are housed in the museum, representing about 50% of the known species from India. A list of the species is provided.

Mosquitoes of the mangrove forests of India: part 5--Chorao, Goa, and Vikhroli, Maharashtra.

ABSTRACT Mosquitoes of 14 species belonging to 9 subgenera and 9 genera were recorded in Chorao mangroves of Goa, and 12 species belonging to 9 subgenera and 7 genera in the mangroves of Vikhroli, Maharashtra, in India. Genera recorded were Aedes, Anopheles, Armigeres, Culex, Mansonia, Ochlerotatus, Orthopodomyia, Toxorhynchites, Uranotaenia, and Verrallina. Species common to both the mangroves were Ae. albopictus, Ae. novalbopictus, An. subpictus, Cx. sitiens, Oc. wardi, Ur. atra, and Ve. lugubris. Tree holes, crab holes, and swamp pools were the common larval habitats in Chorao, but tree holes were absent in Vikhroli. Adults of Ae. albopictus, Ae. novalbopictus, Ar. subalbatus, Cx. gelidus Cx. sitiens, Ma. indiana, Ur. atra, and Ve. lugubris were found landing on humans. Aedes novalbopictus, Oc. wardi, and Or. anopheloides are new records for the state of Goa.

MOSQUITO COLLECTIONS IN THE JEYPORE HILL TRACTS OF ORISSA, INDIA, WITH NOTES ON THREE NEW COUNTRY RECORDS, CULEX (LOPHOCERAOMYIA) PILIFEMORALIS, CULEX (LOPHOCERAOMYIA) WILFREDI, AND HEIZMANNIA (HEIZMANNIA) CHENGI

ABSTRACT The occurrence of Culex (Lophoceraomyia) pilifermoralis, Cx. (Lop.) wilfredi, and Heizmannia (Heizmannia) chengi is reported for the first time from India from mosquito collections made in the Jeypore hills, Orissa. In collections made during October 1998 from 10 locations, 74 species belonging to 12 genera and 20 subgenera were recorded. Larvae of 40 species were obtained from different larval habitats like bamboo, leaf axils, fallen logs, paddy fields, ponds, ground pools, rock pools, streams, and tree holes. Together with the 14 anopheline species from earlier records, this report brings to 88 the number of mosquito species in the Jeypore hills.

MOSQUITOES OF THE MANGROVE FORESTS OF INDIA: PART 2—SUNDARBANS, WEST BENGAL

ABSTRACT Mosquitoes of 19 species belonging to 9 subgenera and 6 genera, Aedes, Aedeomyia, Anopheles, Armigeres, Culex, and Mansonia, were recorded in Sundarbans mangrove forest in West Bengal, India. With 6 and 5 species, respectively, the 2 genera Culex and Anopheles were found to be more diverse while less than 3 species were recorded in the other 4 genera. Adults were mainly collected resting on walls in the guesthouse, tree holes in the forest, landing on humans in the guesthouse, and in the forest, and in light traps. Larvae were obtained from tree holes in the forest. The list of species recorded is not conclusive due to the restriction in access to most parts of the mangroves due to the presence of tigers. The occurrence of the urban species Cx. quinquefasciatus within the Sajnakhali sanctuary is indicative of the need to monitor environmental changes that result with the introduction of man-made facilities.

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF THE SPECIES ADDED TO THE MOSQUITO MUSEUM AT THE VECTOR CONTROL RESEARCH CENTRE, PONDICHERRY, INDIA

Abstract Mosquito species housed in the mosquito museum at the Vector Control Research Centre, Pondicherry, India, were increased from 181 to 266 species belonging to 22 genera. The systematic list of the 85 species added to the collection is provided. The collection consists of a total of 31,874 adult specimens, of which 23,696 are individually mounted on minuten pins, while the rest are held in stock vials. It also includes 2,456 male genitalia and 470 female genitalia preparations, 3,523 larvae, 4,745 larval exuviae, and 3,057 pupal exuviae on microscope slides. Representative specimens of different species are available from 16 states and 3 union territories of India.

MOSQUITOES OF THE MANGROVE FORESTS OF INDIA: PART SIX - KUNDAPUR, KARNATAKA AND KANNUR, KERALA

ABSTRACT Mosquitoes of 26 species belonging to 16 subgenera and 11 genera were recorded in the Kundapur mangroves of Karnataka, and 17 species belonging to 11 subgenera and 7 genera were recorded in the mangroves of Kannur, Kerala along the west coast of India. Genera recorded were Aedes, Anopheles, Armigeres, Culex, Heizmannia, Lutzia, Mansonia, Ochlerotatus, Tripteroides, Uranotaenia, and Verrallina. Species common to both mangrove forests were Ae. albopictus, Ae. vittatus, An. jamesi, Ar. subalbatus, Cx. gelidus, Cx. infantulus, Cx. pseudovishnui, Cx. sitiens, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Oc. wardi, Ur. atra, and Ve. lugubris. Tree holes and swamp pools were the common larval habitats, with more species occurring in tree holes in Kundapur than in Kannur. Adults of Ae. albopictus, Ae. vittatus, Ar. aureolineatus, Ar. subalbatus, Cx. bitaeniorhynchus, Cx. sitiens, Ma. uniformis, and Ve. lugubris bloodfed on humans.

MOSQUITOES OF THE MANGROVE FORESTS OF INDIA: PART FOUR – CORINGA, ANDHRA PRADESH

ABSTRACT Mosquitoes of 12 species belonging to 5 subgenera and 9 genera—Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Diceromyia, Lorrainea, Rhinoskusea, Stegomyia, Toxorhynchites, and Verrallina—were recorded in the Coringa mangrove forest in Andhra Pradesh, India. Tree holes, crab holes, and swamp pools constituted the larval habitats with Lo. fumida being predominant in tree holes. Adults were found resting in tree holes, tree trunks, root bases, and in crab holes. Species involved in daytime feeding on humans were Ae. cancricomes, Cx. sitiens, Lo. fumida, Rh. wardi, and Ve. lugubris.

THE LARVAL HABITAT OF VERRALLINA (VERRALLINA) LUGUBRIS AND CHAETOTAXY OF FIELD-COLLECTED LARVAE

ABSTRACT The larval habitat of Verrallina lugubris (Barraud) is defined based upon collection of 648 larvae from swamp pools from January to March 1998 in Pichavaram mangrove forest, and 125 larvae during September 1997 in Maravakadu mangrove forest in the eastern coast of South India. Salinity of the larval habitat ranged from 12,150 to 24,500 mg/liter in Pichavaram and from 11,600 to 13,000 mg/liter in Maravakadu. Associated mosquito species were Culex sitiens Wiedemann, Ochlerotatus portonovoensis (Tewari and Hiriyan), and Anopheles subpictus Grassi. The chaetotaxy of field-collected larvae of Ve. lugubris is presented.