A study on vectors of Bancroftian filariasis in West Flores, Indonesia

A brief survey was conducted in a filariaendemic village of Robek, West Flores, Indonesia, to identify the mosquito fauna, to determine the vector of W. bancrofti, and to update information on the bionomics of An. subpictus. A total of 6 genera and 22 species were collected. Five species of culicines collected, have not been previously recorded from Flores. Dissections of wild caught mosquitoes consisted of 592 anophelines, and 70 culicines did not reveal any filarial infection. An. subpictus was a potential vector of bancroftian filariasis in the Robek area, as 11.3% of this species that fed on carriers were found to harbour W. bancrofti larvae. Larvae of An. subpictus were collected in lagoons, rice fields, swamps and ground pools. Breeding sites are exposed to sunlight, contain fresh or brackish water, with or withour vegetation. They have been found primarily associated with An. aconitus, An. annularis, An. barbirostris, Cx. vishnui and Cx. bitaeniorhynchus. The time for a female to become fully engorged with human blood is 3-10 minutes. This species is a night biter, attacking man and animals from twilight to dawn. Its peak of biting activity is between 0100-0300 hrs.