Parasitologia hungarica

Author(s): Dezső, J.
Title: Host feeding pattern of some mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) collected in animal houses in Hungary
Title: Istállókban és ólakban gyűjtött magyarországi csípőszúnyogok gazda-preferenciája
Year: 1990
Volume: 23
Pages: 65-82.

Abstract: Until quite recently no Hungarian data were available on the host feeding patterns of Hungarian mosquito species of public and animal health importance. I tried to remedy this deficiency by determining the host origin of blood meals extracted from 379 out of 789 specimens of 9 mosquito species collected in different stables and other animal houses in Hungary. The three species belonging to the Anopheles maculipennis species group have not been differentiated in Hungary since the works of Mihályi. In this study, the scale index method proved suitable for this purpose. However, it required circumstantial examination which could not be done on all specimens. Therefore, only a combined name was given to this species group. It has been proved that the knowledge of the species identify of mosquitoes alone does not permit to draw conclusions on whether the mosquitoes have fed on the domestic animal species kept in the place of collection or on some other species. No host preference restricted to a single species could be demonstrated in this study. With the exception of two species, all mosquito species examined were shown to feed on more than one host species. This shows the enormously important role of mosquitoes in spreading agents pathogenic to several host species.
Keywords: Diptera, Culicidae, mosquitoes, host feeding pattern, blood meal, animal houses

Journal: Parasitologia Hungarica
Journal abbreviation:
ISSN: 0303-688X
Publisher: Ameko Kft, Budapest
Editor(s): K. Murai, É., Thoma, A., Bajomi, D. & Lotterhof, E.