Typology of Breeding Sites and Species Diversity of Culicids (Diptera: Culicidae) in Akanda and its Environs (North West, Gabon)

The typology of larval habitats and the species diversity of culicids were conducted in the Akanda and its environs by collecting mosquito larvae and nymphs present in water collections, from May to June 2019. A total of 334 breeding sites of which 158 positive (47.31%) and 176 negative (52.69%) were identified. Water storage media such as: barrels (n = 95; 28.44%), puddles (n = 73; 21.86%), ponds (n = 47; 14.07%), tires (n = 31; 9.28%) and drains (n = 22; 6.59%) were the most frequent types of breeding sites. In addition, 1 549 mosquito larvae were collected, of which 59.39% belong to the sub-family Culicinae and 40.61% belong to the sub family Anophelinae. After rearing, 790 adults were obtained and divided into 8 species, including Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae s.l., Anopheles pharaoensis, Culex tigripes, Culex decens, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Mansonia uniformis. Although preliminary, this information on the culicid fauna could be useful for the implementation of appropriate control strategies in the study area. Likewise, the presence of Anopheles gambiae s.l. in this area requires that additional studies on its resistance to insecticides be conducted as recommended by the World Health Organization.