Observations on the swarming and mating behaviour of Anopheles funestus from southern Mozambique

BACKGROUND: Control of malaria by the release of genetically modified mosquitoes refractory to transmission is now becoming a possibility. In many areas of Africa, Anopheles gambiae is found together with an equally important vector, An. funestus. Given their sympatry and the likelihood of a similar mating period some aspects of the mating behaviour of An. gambiae s.l. and An. funestus are likely to differ. We therefore attempted to characterise the swarming behaviour of An. funestus and to determine if any aspects of the observed behaviour differed from that recorded for the M form of An. gambiae from São Tomé. METHODS: In March – May 2002 the swarming, mating, house exiting and resting behaviour of Anopheles funestus was studied by direct observation in Mozambique. Swarming males and insects in copula were collected by sweep net. Wing lengths of males collected resting, exiting houses, swarming and mating were measured and the wingbeat frequency distribution of individual insects, in free flight confined inside netting covered paper cups, was also determined. RESULTS: Mono-specific swarms occurred at sunset in relatively open areas close to houses used for resting. Mating pairs were seen 11 ± 3.7 min after the start of swarming. The number of total pairs observed being inversely proportional to the time difference between the start of swarming and the first pairing. The great majority of females mated before feeding. Male or female size did not appear to affect mating success or other behaviours. During the study, ambient temperatures decreased and female, but not male, wing size increased. At 516 Hz, the flight tone of female An. funestus was similar to the 497 Hz of the local An. gambiae. Males dispersed if light or dark artificial horizontal markers were placed underneath naturally occurring swarms. CONCLUSION: Differential response to markers would be sufficient for swarming in An. funestus and An. gambiae s.l. to occur in distinct sites.