Bloodmeal hosts of Anopheles species (Diptera: Culicidae) in a malaria-endemic area of the Brazilian Amazon

Hosts of blood-fed anophelines (Diptera: Culicidae) were determined in three riverine villages, 1.5-7.0 km apart, along the Matapi River, Amapd state, Brazil, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay midgut analysis for IgG of common vertebrates. Anopheles marajoara Galvao & Damsceno and Anopheles darlingi Root had higher human blood indices (HBI) than Anopheles nuneztovari Gabaldon, Anopheles triannulatus (Neiva & Pinto), and Anopheles intermedius (Chagas), which were relatively zoophilic. HBIs of An. darlingi varied significantly among villages, attributable to a low proportion of human-fed mosquitoes in Santo Antonio. Significantly higher incidence of An. marajoara and An. nuneztovari fed on pig blood at two villages, associated with a low number of pigs in Santo Antonio. The incidences of bovine blood varied significantly among villages for all three of the most common anopheline species. The incidence of mixed meals ranged from 7.1 to 27.6% among common species, and, for An. marajoara, varied significantly among villages. This study demonstrates differences in host selection patterns among villages only a few kilometers apart, which may be influenced by host availability and have important epidemiological consequences.