Abstract:
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Anopheles arabiensis, an important malaria vector in Sudan and other countries in sub-
Saharan Africa, exhibits considerable ecological and behavioural plasticity allowing it to
survive in the harsh conditions of arid regions. It has been shown that adult populations of
An. arabiensis in the semi-desert habitat of western Khartoum State survive through the long
dry season in a state of partial aestivation, characterized by limited feeding activity and a
degree of arrested ovarian development. Anopheles arabiensis in these sites occurs in two
phenotypic forms. One is large and heavily melanized, the other has the typical
characteristics of An. arabiensis as found elsewhere in Africa. The extent of genetic variation
in these forms was examined in widely separated locations in Sudan, including Kassala,
Gedaref and the Northern States between 1998 and 1999 and 2004 and 2006. |