Methods for measuring anopheline densities in El Salvador

pseudopunctipennis in a coastal malarious area of El Salvador are evaluated from data collected between January 1968 and June 1971. Two New Jersey light traps, operated for a total of 358 trap nights, yielded an average of 93.9 A. albimanus per trap night, 96.9 percent of which were females. Collections of A. pseudopunctipennis averaged only 0.05 specimens, all females, per trap night. Nighttime collections from two cattle corrals in the same area accounted for an average of 84.4 A. albimanus and 1.1 A. pseudopunctipennis in 107 collections. Early evening human bait captures yielded an average of 29.5 A. albimanus females and no specimens of A. pseudopunctipennis in 23 collections. Daytime collections from natural dirunal resting sites yielded an average of 20.2 A. albimanus; and 5.8 A. pseudopunctipennis, represented by 18.9 percent and 43.7 percent females, respectively. Daytime counts from beneath four bridges in the area collectively averaged 7.2 A. albimanus and 9.7 A. pseudopunctipennis. Early morning captures of anophelines resting on interior surfaces of dwellings yielded an average of 9.4 A. albimanus and only a single A. pseudopunctipennis female in 72 captures. The relative usefulness of each method is discussed in light of the purpose of the collection.