Cordon sanitaire or laissez faire: Differential dispersal of young and old females of the malaria vector Anopheles funestus Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) in southern Mozambique

The dispersal of Anopheles funestus Giles was studied in two suburban areas 10 and 35 km south of Maputo, Mozambique, in April 1995. Population densities per house differed significantly between areas. The number of female mosquitoes in houses decreased with distance from the breeding site. Young pre-gravid females were concentrated close to the breeding site. There was no correlation between the number of male and female mosquitoes in houses or between the number of males and distance from the breeding site. There was also no correlation between Anopheles arabiensis Patton and An. funestus recorded in houses. The results are discussed in relation to the design and implementation of a cordon sanitaire for malaria control in such areas.