SEASONAL ABUNDANCE, BITING CYCLE, AND PARITY OF THE MOSQUITO ANOPHELES-HOMUNCULUS IN TRINIDAD, WEST-INDIES

Seasonal abundance, daily biting activity, and the age composition of adult Anopheles homunculus female populations were monitored weekly du ring 1989-90 by human bait on the ground at Cumaca Forest, Platanal, T rinidad. Landing collections of An. homunculus showed diurnal and noct urnal activity, with a single peak between 1600 and 2000 hours. Overal l, 27.7% of An. homunculus were collected during the dry season and 72 .3% during the wet season. Similar seasonal parous rates were observed in wet (58.9%) and dry (56.1%) seasons. Diel periodicities of nullipa rs and pars were almost identical during the wet and dry seasons.