title: Blood Meal Preference of Some Anopheline Mosquitoes in Command and Non-command Areas of Rajasthan, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study was undertaken to compare the entomological situation by analyzing the blood meal of mosquitoes of canal irrigated and non-irrigated areas of Bikaner in order to explore scientific information on the vector biology and malaria burden profile and to plan proper strategies for malaria control and eradication.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult mosquitoes were collected and the abdomen of the blood fed females were crushed on a filter paper for blood meal analysis and subjected to precipitin test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The blood meal analysis showed that Anopheles subpictus had a preference towards cattle blood, An. culicifacies and An. stephensi preferred human blood, while, An. annularis was noted to feed only on bovine blood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although An. annularis, has been recently reported from the area, was found to feed exclusively on bovine blood, earlier reports suggest that this species is a vector of malaria and therefore preventive measures should be taken well in advance before this species gets established in the area.
authors: Laboratory of Entomology, PG Department of Zoology, Governmental Dungar College, Rajasthan, India.
authors: Kailash Kumar
authors: KK
authors: Swami
authors: Meera
authors: M
authors: Srivastava
keywords: Anopheline mosquitoes; Canal irrigated (Command area); Malaria; Thar Desert; non-command area
references: Bull World Health Organ. 1960;22(6):685-720
references: 20604062
references: J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 2002 Dec;18(4):307-15
references: 12542188
references: J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 1991 Mar;7(1):11-5
references: 2045801
references: Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 1996 Jun;27(2):378-81
references: 9280007
references: J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 2006 Dec;22(4):629-34
references: 17304929
references: J Commun Dis. 1998 Dec;30(4):283-7
references: 10810570
references: Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1991 Aug;45(2):226-35
references: 1877717
references: Indian J Malariol. 1986 Dec;23(2):81-9
references: 2883033
references: Indian J Med Res. 1989 Sep;89:340-3
references: 2628298
references: Indian J Malariol. 1992 Sep;29(3):129-60
references: 1286730
references: J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 1988 Sep;4(3):248-51
references: 3199114
references: J Biosci. 2008 Nov;33(4):583-92
references: 19208983