BIONOMICS OF ANOPHELES PSEUDOPUNCTIPENNIS IN A MALARIA ENDEMIC REGION OF NORTHERN MEXICO

Abstract

Malaria remains a significant public health issue in Mexico, with persistent transmission hotspots in the southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, and in the northern states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Durango. The Tarahumara region in the Sierra Madre Occidental lowlands of Chihuahua continues to experience malaria transmission, with environmental and socio-economic factors contributing to recurrent outbreaks. Due to the remote nature of these areas, there is a lack of comprehensive entomological studies on anopheline mosquitoes. This study aims to evaluate key factors related to the vectorial capacity of An. pseudopunctipennis, including biting dynamics, survivorship, and the gonotrophic cycle, in the San José de Valenzuela collected and identified from multiple locations in Jamaica for the first time. The locations where Ae. vittatus samples were collected were classified as rural or peri-urban, supporting the vector’s strong anthropophilic behavior. In one location, immature stages of Ae. vittatus were found in a discarded refrigerator, demonstrating its ability to breed in artificial containers. Phylogenetic analysis of a fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene is suggestive of multiple entries into Jamaica from the Indian subcontinent. Interestingly, one sample shared 100% identity with a Ae. vittatus specimen from Cuba. Median-joining network analysis based on COI sequence revealed significant nucleotide mutations in some samples, which may indicate environmental adaptation and potential population structure change. This study highlights the importance of surveillance and the ability of invasive mosquitoes to establish in new geographical ranges.