Author
- Donitz
- 1902:77 (M, F*)
- Type-loc: Dar-es-Salaam, Tanganyika (ZM)
Distribution
- Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa,
Swaziland, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
-
Synonyms
- litoralis Halcrow
- tangensis Kuhlow
- 1962:448 (M, F)
- Type-loc: Tanga, Tanganyika (BNI)
Bionomics
- Where these occur on the East Coast, merus breeds in the same
type of Auicennia swamps as melas on the West Coast. However, over much
of its range pure stands of this type of mangrove are absent and the
species is most commonly found in brackish lagoons, ponds, swamps, pools
and puddles that are flooded at spring tides and subsequently diluted
by rainfall or seepage from the land. In the absence of domestic animals merus bites
man readily both indoors and outdoors. But in the presence of other hosts
cattle prove to be more attractive, and under conditions such as in Pemba
where animals are tethered near the swamps all night the mosquitoes may
be entirely nondomestic. (Gilies and deMeillon 1968:223)
Medical Importance
- On the whole it appears that its importance as a vector is limited,
but in localities where it is abundant, its numbers may partly make up
for lowered vectorial capacity. (Gilies and deMeillon 1968:223)
Additional References
Culicidae » Anophelinae » Anopheles » Cellia
