Methodology
A possible alternative method for collecting mosquito larvae in rice fields
1 Groupe de Recherche sur le Paludisme, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar
2 UR Paludologie afro-tropicale, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
3 UR Caractérisation et contrôle des populations de vecteurs, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
Malaria Journal 2002, 1:4 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-1-4
Published: 8 April 2002Abstract
Background
Rice fields are efficient breeding places for malaria vectors in Madagascar. In order to establish as easily as possible if a rice field is an effective larval site for anophelines, we compared classical dipping versus a net as methods of collecting larvae.
Results
Using similar collecting procedures, we found that the total number of anopheline larvae collected with the net was exactly double (174/87) that collected by dipping. The number of anopheline species collected was also greater with a net.
Conclusions
The net is an effective means of collecting anopheline larvae and can be used for qualitative ecological studies and to rapidly determine which rice fields are containing malaria vectors.
