title: Host selection and gonotrophic cycle length of Anopheles punctimacula in southern Mexico.
abstract: The host preference, survival rates, and length of the gonotrophic cycle of Anopheles punctimacula was investigated in southern México. Mosquitoes were collected in 15-day separate experiments during the rainy and dry seasons. Daily changes in the parous-nulliparous ratio were recorded and the gonotrophic cycle length was estimated by a time series analysis. Anopheles punctimacula was most abundant during the dry season and preferred animals to humans. The daily survival rate in mosquitoes collected in animal traps was 0.96 (parity rate = 0.86; gonotrophic cycle = 4 days). The length of gonotrophic cycle of 4 days was estimated on the base of a high correlation coefficient value appearing every 4 days. The minimum time estimated for developing mature eggs after blood feeding was 72 h. The proportion of mosquitoes living enough to transmit Plasmodium vivax malaria during the dry season was 0.35.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación de Paludismo, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Apartado Postal 537, Tapachula, Chiapas 30700, Mexico.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ulloa
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Cerón
authors.forename: Mario H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000502:physiology*; D001070:Appetitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000502:physiology*; D008288:Malaria / Q000635:transmission; D008800:Mexico; D052287:Oviparity / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons; D013997:Time Factors; D014818:Vitellogenesis / Q000502:physiology