Anopheles albitarsis s.l. (Diptera: Culicidae) survivorship and density in a rice irrigation area of the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Collections of Anopheles albitarsis Arribalzaga s.l. were conducted from May 1996 to June 2000 to estimate the human biting rate, and mark-release-recapture experiments were carried out to estimate the daily survival probability. The density of An. albitarsis females showed a marked seasonal variation, with peaks as high as 629 individuals per human per night in the wet season. The low daily survival probability of 0.61 is an important factor limiting the vectorial capacity of An. albitarsis s.l. in southeastern Brazil.