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Observations on the breeding sites of mosquitoes in Lake Manyara, a saline lake in the East African Rift Valley

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

A. R. Njogu
Affiliation:
East African Trypanosomiasis Research Organization, Tororo, Uganda
G. K. Kinoti
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

Extract

Larvae of 18 species of mosquitoes were found in the region of Lake Manyara, a saline lake in Tanzania. Aedes natronius Edw., Culex tenagius van Som. and C. nakuruensis Mattingly bred in salinities ranging from 0 to over 8% NaCl; five species, including Anopheles gambiae Giles, bred only in fresh and brackish waters, while the remainder were found only in fresh water. The saline habitats were also alkaline. C. tenagius occurs only in association with hot springs throughout East Africa, but larvae were found in salinities of 0- > 8% NaCl, alkalinities of 0.05–0.32N, pH 7.8- > 11 and at temperatures of 22–42 C. C. tenagius, C. nakuruensis and C. telesilla De Meillon & Lavoipierre were new records for Tanzania, as was Ae. lineatopennis (Ludl.) collected from a nearby settlement. It is considered that the species able to breed in both fresh and salt water, namely, Ae. natronius, C. tenagius and C. nakuruensis, may comprise a complex of fresh-water and salt-water races, or even species.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

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