Breeding habitats and their contribution to Anopheles stephensi in Panaji

A one-year longitudinal study conducted in 9 categories of breeding habitats in Panaji, Goa, showed that 1.1% of the 67,360 breeding sites contained Anopheles stephensi immatures and the overall positivity varied from 0.4 to 3.5% with a peak in June. The habitat-wise proportion of An. stephensi was: wells, 0-1.3%; fountains, 1.4-11.4%; masonry tanks, 0.8-6.1%; overhead tanks, 0.1-4.0%; curing water in construction sites, 0.6-9.0%; groundwater tanks, 0-1.4%; tyres, 0-8.9%; barrels and tins, 0-5.4%; and intradomestic containers, 0-1.9%. An. stephensi was breeding along with An. subpictus, An. vagus, An. barbirostris, Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. vishnui, Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus and Ae. vittatus.