Aestivation of the African Malaria Mosquito, Anopheles gambiae in the Sahel

The African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, inhabits diverse environments including dry savannas, where surface waters required for larval development are absent for 4–8 months per year. Under such conditions, An. gambiae virtually disappears. Whether populations survive the long dry season by aestivation (a dormant state promoting extended longevity during the summer) or are reestablished by migrants from distant locations where larval sites persist has remained an enigma for over 60 years. Resolving this question is important, because fragile dry season populations may be more susceptible to control. Here, we show unequivocally that An. gambiae aestivates based on a demographic study and a mark release–recapture experiment spanning the period from the end of one wet season to the beginning of the next. During the dry season, An. gambiae was barely detectable in Sahelian villages of Mali. Five days after the first rain, before a new generation of adults could be produced, mosquito abundance surged 10-fold, implying that most mosquitoes were concealed locally until the rain. Four days after the first rain, a marked female An. gambiae s.s. was recaptured. Initially captured, marked, and released at the end of the previous wet season, she has survived the 7-month-long dry season. These results provide evidence that An. gambiae persists throughout the dry season by aestivation and open new questions for mosquito and parasite research. Improved malaria control by targeting aestivating mosquitoes using existing or novel strategies may be possible

REVISION DE SIMULIUM (PSILOPELMIA) ENDERLEIN EN LA REGION NEOTROPICAL Y ANALISIS CLADISTICO DE SUS ESPECIES (DIPTERA: SIMULIIDAE)

Endemism among amphibians and reptiles of the State is remakable, becsause is the higher than in any other region of Mexico. Comprising 93 species (26% of the Oaxaca´s Herpotofauna), 44 of amphibians and 47 of reptiles. The herpetofaunistic regions with the higher number of endemic species are the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca (29 amphibians and 46 reptiles), the Sierra Madre del Sur (13 amphibians and 7 reptiles) and the Isthmus of Tctiuantepec that its a also important region of enedemism (9 reptilian species, and sharing several other species with the Planicie Costera del Pacifico and the Sierra Atravesada) The altitudinal zone of highest endemism in Oaxaca are between 1200 and 2600 m. The greatest number of salamanders and snakes endemiscs occurs between 1200 and 3000 m and between 1200 and 2200 for frogs and lizards.El endemismo de anfibios y reptiles del Estado es sobresaliente, ya que es el más alto que en, cualquier otra región de México comprendiendo 93 especies (26% de la Herpotofauna de Oaxaca), 44 de anfibios y 47 de reptiles. Las regiones herpetofaunistieas con el mas alto número de especies endémicas son la Sierra Madre de Oaxaca (29 anfibios y 46 reptiles), la Sierra Madre del Sur (13 anfibio.s y 13 reptiles) y el Istmo de Tctiuantepec (9 reptiles, aunque comparte varias especies endémicas con la Planicie Costera del Pacífico y la Siena Atravesada) Las altitudes de mayor cndemismo en Oaxaca se encuentran entre los 1200 V 2600 m. El mayor endemismo para salamandras y serpientes so encuentra entre 1200 y 3000 metros de altitud y entre 1200 y 2200 para ranas y lagartijas