title: [Anopheles (Díptera: Culicidae) vectors of malaria in Puerto Carreño municipality, Vichada, Colombia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study of the biological aspects of Anopheles spp., strengthens the entomological surveillance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine biological aspects and behavior of adult Anopheles mosquitoes in the urban area of Puerto Carreño municipality, Vichada, Colombia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wild anophelines were collected landing on humans both indoors and outdoors between 18:00h and 06:00h for 50 min/h during two consecutive nights/month for eight months in the urban area of Puerto Carreño. The biting rate activity, the natural infection by Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax VK247 and VK210 using ELISA, and the annual entomological inoculation rate were determined for each species. The members of the Albitarsis complex were determined by amplificacion of the white gene by polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In order of abundance the species found were An. darlingi (n=1,166), An. marajoara sensu stricto (n=152), An. braziliensis (n=59), An. albitarsis F (n=25), An. albitarsis sensu lato (n=16), An. argyritarsis (n=3) and An. oswaldoi sensu lato (n=2). An. darlingi showed two activity peaks between 21:00 to 22:00 and 05:00 to 06:00 hours outdoors and between 21:00 to 22:00 and 04:00 to 05:00 indoors. Natural infection of this species was found with P. vivax VK210 and its annual entomological inoculation rate was 2. Natural infection of An marajoara sensu stricto with P. falciparum was found, with an annual entomological inoculation rate of 5 and a peak biting activity between 18:00 to 19:00 hrs both indoors and outdoors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transmission of malaria in the urban area of Puerto Carreño, Vichada, can occur by An. darlingi and An. marajoara s.s.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Jan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Conn
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wirtz
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brochero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles; D003105:Colombia; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors; D008288:Malaria / Q000635:transmission*