Anopheles funestus (Diptera: Culicidae) in a humid savannah area of western Burkina Faso: Bionomics, insecticide resistance status, and role in Malaria transmission

An entomological survey was carried out in three humid savannah sites of western Burkina Faso (Bama, Lena, and Soumousso) to 1) update the taxonomy of the Anopheles funestus Giles group, 2) examine the role of each species in malaria transmission, 3) characterize the insecticide resistance status of this malaria vector, and 4) determine the distribution of An. funestus chromosomal forms in these areas. Polymerase chain reaction identification of the members showed the occurrence of An. leesoni Evans in Lena and An. rivulorum-like in Soumousso in addition to An. funestus s.s. Malaria transmission was ensured mainly by An. funestus s.s. both in Soumousso and Lena and by An. gambiae s.s. Giles in Bama, the rice-growing area. The insecticide resistance status performed only on An. funestus indicated that this mosquito was susceptible to pyrethroids irrespective of the study area, but it was resistant to dieldrin. Furthermore, the occurrence of the two chromosomal forms of An. funestus, namely, Kiribina and Folonzo, seemed to follow ecological setups where Kiribina predominated in the irrigated area and Folonzo was more frequent in classic savannah. This study revealed that the problematic of An. funestus taxonomy was closer to that of An. gambiae requiring more structured studies to understand its genetic ecology. © 2007 Entomological Society of America.