title: Population dynamics, structure and behavior of Anopheles darlingi in a rural settlement in the Amazon rainforest of Acre, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anopheles darlingi is the major vector of malaria in South America, and its behavior and distribution has epidemiological importance to biomedical research. In Brazil, An. darlingi is found in the northern area of the Amazon basin, where 99.5% of the disease is reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study area, known as Ramal do Granada, is a rural settlement inside the Amazon basin in the state of Acre. Population variations and density have been analysed by species behaviour, and molecular analysis has been measured by ND4 mitochondrial gene sequencing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show higher density in collections near a recent settlement, suggesting that a high level of colonization decreases the vector presence. The biting activity showed higher activity at twilight and major numbers of mosquitos in the remaining hours of the night in months of high density. From a sample of 110 individual mosquitoes, 18 different haplotypes were presented with a diversity index of 0.895, which is higher than that found in other Anopheles studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An. darlingi depends on forested regions for their larval and adult survival. In months with higher population density, the presence of mosquitoes persisted in the second part of the night, increasing the vector capacity of the species. Despite the intra-population variation in the transition to rainy season, the seasonal distribution of haplotypes shows no change in the structure population of An. darlingi.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Biociências de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Rufalco
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Moutinho
authors.forename: Luis Herman Soares
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Rafael Bastos
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Paulo Eduardo Martins
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Ribolla
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001938:Brazil; D004199:Disease Vectors; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012424:Rural Population
chemical_list: D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase