Entomological survey of malaria vectors in Dashtestan County, South of Iran

Anopheline mosquitoes are responsible for transmission of some diseases such as malaria. This study was carried out in five villages of Dashtestan county, Bushehr province, south of Iran with mountainous and plain areas. Anopheles larvae were sampled once a month from May to July 2021 by dipping method using standard dippers. Adults were captured by the total catch technique. In this study, 1062 Anopheles mosquitoes were collected including 850 adults and 212 larvae. Samples were A. superpictus, A. stephensi, A. dthali and A. fluviatilis. The dominant species at all sites (larvae and adults) were A. dthali (31.35%), A. superpictus (28.93%), A. stephensi (27.77%), and A. fluviatilis (11.95%), respectively. Among adults, A. stephensi was the most frequent species, but among larvae, A. dthali was the dominant species. The highest number of A. dthali was captured from Dalaki village with 35%, while A. superpictus and A. fluviatilis were not caught at this station. The minimum collected adults of all species occurred in Bashirabad. This result showed that A. stephensi plays an important role in south Iran, which is under the elimination phase. The fauna and niches of Anopheles has different patterns depending on ecological, climatic, and topographic features. These items affect host preferences, feeding behaviors, and distribution of these species. A monthly or annual entomological survey is necessary in regions with mobile populations since imported malaria is a problematic issue in the elimination programs of Iran.