Ecology of Anopheles Mosquito Larvae in Different Ecological Zones in Ghana

Abstract Background: Understanding the ecology of larval malaria mosquitoes is important in a changing environment is important in developing effective control tools or programmes. This study characterized the breeding habitats of Anopheles mosquitoes in rural communities in different ecological zones in Ghana during the dry and rainy seasons.Methods: The spatio-temporal distribution, species composition, and abundance of larval Anopheles mosquitoes in breeding habitats were studied in 3 ecological zones of Ghana. These were Anyakpor (Coastal Savanna area), Duase (Forest area), Libga, Pagazaa, and Kpalsogu (Sahel Savanna area). Larvae were collected using standard dippers and were raised in the insectary for identification. Results: Out of a total of 7,984 mosquito larvae collected, 2,152 (27.26%) were Anophelines and were more abundant in the rainy season (70.82%) than in the dry season (29.18 %). The Anophelines were made up of 2,128 (98.88%) An. gambiae s.l., 16 (0.74%) An. rufipees and 8 (0.37%) An. pharoensis. In Anyakpor and Duase, dug-out wells were the most productive habitat in the dry (1.59 larvae/dip and 1.47 larvae/dip) and rainy seasons (11.28 larvae/dip and 2.05 larvae/dip). The most productive habitats in Kpalsogu were natural ponds in the dry season (0.89 larvae/dip) and swamps in the rainy season (2.57 larvae/dip). In Libga, the most productive habitats were drainage ditches in the dry season (0.30 larvae/dip) and furrows in the rainy season (1.83 larvae/dip). The most productive habitats in Pagazaa were puddles (1.44 larvae/dip). Anopheles coluzii was the most abundant sibling species in all the ecological zones except Libga in the sahel savannah area where An. gambiae s.s was the most abundant. Anopheles melas and An. arabiensis were encountered only in the coastal savannah and the sahel savanna areas respectively. Larval habitat types influenced the presence of larvae as well as larval densities (p < 0.001). The land-use type affected the presence of Anopheles larvae (p = 0.001), while vegetation cover influenced larval densities (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study revealed that the abundance of Anopheles breeding habitats and hence Anopheles larvae are closely associated with anthropogenic activities. Regulating such activities will lead to a significant reduction in Anopheles breeding habitats.