BLOOD MEAL PREFERENCE OF SOME ANOPHELINE MOSQUITOES IN COMMAND AND NON-COMMAND AREAS OF RAJASTHAN, INDIA

Background: The present study was undertaken to compare the entomological situation by analyzing the blood meal of mosquitoes of canal irrigated and non -irrigated areas of Bikaner in order to ex plore scientific information on the vector biology and malaria burden profile and to plan proper strategies for malaria control and eradication. Methods: Adult mosquitoes were collected and the abdomen of the blood fed females were crushed on a filter pape r for blood meal analysis and subjected to precipitin test . Results: The blood meal analysis showed that Anopheles subpictus had a preference towards cattle blood, An. culicifacies and An. stephensi preferred human blood, while, An. annularis was noted to feed only on bovine blood. Conclusion: Although An. annularis, has been recently reported from the area, was found to feed exclusively on bovine blood, earlier reports suggest that this species is a vector of malaria and therefore preventive measures should be taken well in advance before this species gets established in the area.