The fauna and ecology of mosquito larvae (Diptera: Culicidae) in western Iran

Ecological data are important in integrated vector management. There are few published documents about the ecology of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in western Iran. To study the fauna and ecology of the mosquito larvae of Kurdistan Province, the samples were collected by the dipping method during June–October 2005 and June–August 2006. Larval habitat characteristics were recorded according to habitat type, water conditions (stagnant or running, clear or turbid), water temperature, vegetation (with or without vegetation), and sunlight exposure (full or partial sunlight or shaded). A total of 2096 third- and fourth-instar larvae were collected. Four genera and 11 species were identified: Anopheles claviger (1%), An. maculipennis sensu lato (s.l.) (17.4%), An. superpictus (57.7%), Culex hortensis (1.5%), Cx. mimeticus (2.7%), Cx. perexiguus (0.2%), Cx. pipiens (0.8%), Cx. theileri (12.2%), Culiseta longiareolata (6.1%), Cs. subochrea (0.3%), and Ochlerotatus caspius s.l. (0.1%). Anopheles superpictus, An. maculipennis s.l., and Cx. theileri were the most abundant and widely distributed species. All larvae were collected from natural habitats (river edges or ground pools). There was no significant difference among the mean water temperatures (17.7–26 °C) of the habitats of different species (P = 0.098). The larval habitat characteristics, association occasions, and percentages of each species are discussed.