Ecological study of Anopheles sundaicus larvae in a coastal village of North Sumatra, Indonesia : I. Topography, land use, and larval breeding

Abstract

The breeding of Anopheles sundaicus, together with topography and land use, was investigated from 1980 to the first half of 1985 in a coastal village of North Sumatra, Indonesia. The major breeding places were sunlit flood fields, ditches for coconut cultivation, small fishponds and roadside pools situated in the high-salinity stagnant water areas which were subject to tidal action of spring tides. Unfavorable places for breeding of the species were tidal swamps subject to daily tidal action, water bodies densely covered with trees and shrubs, rice fields, and fishponds situated in the stagnant water areas with low salinity of less than 0.1%. Floating algae and aquatic plants were sometimes found with the larvae in waters of less than 1.0% salinity. Usually, however, the larvae were abundant in those of more than 1.0% salinity without aquatic plants. Favorable breeding places were distributed in limited areas even just after onset of one of spring tides in May 1985.