'We like it wet': a comparison between dissection techniques for the assessment of parity in Anopheles arabiensis and determination of sac stage in mosquitoes alive or dead on collection

PeerJ
J D CharlwoodC LeClair

Abstract

The determination of parous rates in mosquitoes, despite numerous shortcomings, remains a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of control programs and to determine vectorial capacity in malaria vectors. Two dissection techniques are used for this. For one, the tracheoles of dried ovaries are examined with a compound microscope and in the other the follicular stalk of ovaries is examined, wet, with a stereomicroscope. The second method also enables the sac stage of parous insects (which provides information on the duration of the oviposition cycle) and the mated status of insects to be determined. Despite widespread use the two techniques have not previously been compared. We compared the two dissection techniques using Anopheles arabiensis, collected with a tent-trap in Eritrea. The paired ovaries were removed in water and one was examined by each method. From a separate set of dissections from Tanzania, we also determined if the sac stages of Anopheles gambiae s.l. (83% of 183 identified by PCR being Anopheles arabiensis the remainder being A. gambiae) that were alive on collection were different to those that died on collection and what the implications for vectorial capacity estimation might be. Seven per cent of the dry ovari...Continue Reading

References

Apr 1, 1990·Medical and Veterinary Entomology·T Q Hoc, J D Charlwood
Nov 14, 2003·Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology·J D CharlwoodV E Do Rosário
Nov 18, 2006·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Peter E CookScott L O'Neill
Nov 17, 2007·Nature Protocols·Peter E CookScott L O'Neill
Oct 10, 2009·The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·Valeliana S MayagayaFloyd E Dowell
Apr 23, 2011·Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·J D Charlwood, E V E Tomás
Nov 19, 2011·Medical and Veterinary Entomology·J D CharlwoodR J Pitts
Apr 17, 2014·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Clément VinaugerJeffrey A Riffell
Nov 9, 2017·Parasites & Vectors·Benjamin J KrajacichBrian D Foy
Nov 22, 2017·PeerJ·Jacques D CharlwoodCorey Le Clair

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
dissection
dissections
PCR
dissect

Clinical Trials Mentioned

NCT02288637

Software Mentioned

MedCalc

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