Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 July 2009
Field and laboratory studies were made of the mosquitos of the Wuhan area, central China, between June 1947 and March 1948.
The following species were collected : Anopheles hyrcanus var. sinensis, Mansonia uniformis, Armigeres obturbans, Aëdes albopictus, Culex fuscanus, Culex vagans, Culex fatigans, Culex pipiens and Culex tritaeniorhynchus. A brief account is given of the topography and other environmental features of Wuhan.
The seasonal incidence and feeding habits of the adults, and the breeding sites favoured by the various species are recorded.
Monthly mean figures for rainfall, temperature and humidity are examined in relation to incidence of malaria and abundance of adults and larvae of Anopheles hyrcanus var. sinensis. The peak of malaria incidence coincides with that of Anopheles population which occurs two to three months after the peak of rainfall at an average relative humidity of 66 per cent.
A chemical analysis of waters from different types of breeding sites was made. Both the total organic nitrogen, and the amount of dissolved oxygen were considerably greater in the breeding site of Armigeres obturbans than in those of other genera. A sample of water from a site in which no mosquito breeding was observed contained very much smaller amounts of organic substances and minerals than samples from known breeding sites.
Other ecological factors affecting the early stages in their breeding sites are briefly referred to.