Abstract

A study was conducted in two villages in East-coastal area, Parigi-Moutong District, Central Sulawesi during 1999-2002 to determine the bioecology of Anopheles species particularly biting activity related to human habits and rainfall. In longitudinal survey of the mosquitoes performed for 23 months in Kasimbar and 22 months in Sidoan during 1999-2002, 8670 female Anopheles from 10 species were collected. The most abundant is An. vagus, comprising over 45.22% of the total anophelines collected, followed by An. barbirostris, An. indefinitus, An. subpictus and An. tesselatus. All of these species were more exophilic rather than endophilic. An. barbirostris and An. subpictus are known as vectors and suspected vectors wich are important in transmitting malaria in Central Sulawesi. This two-suspected vector species showed same pattern of biting activity. For An. barbirostris the peak of biting activity was close to midnight indoors and outdoors (between 11 pm-4 am) and for An. subpictus between 9 pm -3 am, mainly before midnight indoors and outdoors. Regression of the log-transformed mean number caught  with the rainfall showed no significant relationship between rainfall and mean number of An. barbirostris and An. subpictus in Kasimbar and Sidoan (r account <5%). An. barbirostris in Kasimbar and An. subpictus in Sidoan always abundant throughout the year. The brackish lake ecosystem gives An. subpictus possibilities of adaptation this species live the whole year round in Tinombo but their frequencies vary with the inundation of the lake. This same condition also showed in the pool around the villages in Kasimbar that gives An. barbirostris possibilities of adaptation throughout the year.