Vet World   Vol.17   September-2024  Article - 19 

Species diversity of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), larval habitat characteristics, and potential as vectors for lymphatic filariasis in Central Bengkulu Regency, Indonesia

Background and Aim: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a vector-borne disease in various regions of Indonesia. The transmission dynamics within a locality are intricately linked to the presence of the pathogen (microfilaria), definitive host (humans), intermediate host (mosquitoes), reservoir, and environmental factors. The geographic landscape of Central Bengkulu Regency, which is characterized by plantations, marshlands, and forests, serves as a suitable habitat for mosquitoes. Understanding species diversity, vector behaviors, habitat characteristics, and microfilarial presence is crucial for devising effective and efficient control strategies. This study aimed to identify species diversity, assess biting patterns, characterize larval habitats, and detect microfilarial presence in mosquitoes. 

Materials and Methods: Mosquito collection was conducted using human landing collection (HLC) and resting collection indoors and outdoors for 6 months at a frequency of twice monthly from November 2022 to May 2023. The larvae were collected using dippers and pipettes. Adult mosquitoes and larvae were identified at the species level and analyzed using diversity indices. The measured larval bioecological parameters included physical, chemical, and biological conditions. The mosquito density obtained through HLC was calculated using the man-hour density (MHD) and man-biting rate (MBR) formulas. The presence of microfilaria was confirmed using a polymerase chain reaction. 

Results: A total of 808 adult mosquitoes from five genera and 18 species were captured, along with 485 larvae from four genera and eight species. The mosquito diversity was moderate. The dominant adult species included Armigeres subalbatus (44.8%), whereas Aedes albopictus (25.4%) and Ar. subalbatus (22.3%) were abundant larvae. The highest larval density was observed in natural ponds. The average MBR was three mosquitoes per person per night, with fluctuating nightly activity (mean MHD of 1.8 mosquitoes per person per hour). Larval habitats had temperatures of 25.4°C–28.7°C, illumination of 224–674 lx, and pH of 7.1–7.9, with over half being turbid and nearly two-thirds lacking predators. Microfilariae were not detected in the tested mosquitoes. 

Conclusion: The presence of mosquitoes, their habitat, and the high density of Ar. subalbatus contributes to the transmission of LF in Central Bengkulu Regency, Indonesia. 

Keywords: Bengkulu, characteristics, diversity, filariasis, habitat, vector.

How to cite this article: Kermelita D, Hadi UK, Soviana S, Tiuria R, and Supriyono S (2024) Species diversity of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), larval habitat characteristics, and potential as vectors for lymphatic filariasis in Central Bengkulu Regency, Indonesia, Veterinary World, 17(9): 2115-2123.

Received: 2024-04-10    Accepted: 2024-08-14    Published online: 2024-09-20

Corresponding author: Upik Kesumawati Hadi    E-mail: upikke@apps.ipb.ac.id

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.2115-2123

Copyright: Kermelita, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.