''Anopheles nili'' is a species of
mosquito
Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...
in the
Culicidae
Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning "gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "litt ...
family. It comprises the following elements: ''An. carnevalei'', ''An. nili'', ''An. ovengensis'' and ''An. somalicus''. The scientific name of this
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
was first published in 1904 by Theobald. It is the main mosquito species found in the south Cameroon forest zone which bites humans. It is known as a problematic carrier of
malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
, although newly discovered, closely related species in the same genus have also been found to interact with ''A. nili'' as a disease
vector
Vector most often refers to:
*Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction
*Vector (epidemiology), an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism
Vector may also refer to:
Mathematic ...
. In that, they both have similar feeding habits on local targets in the Cameroon region.
Life Cycle
For more information, see mosquito life cycle.
Similar to all mosquitoes, ''Anopheles nili'' go through a life stages of egg, larva, pupa, then emerge as adults.
''A. nili'' is a
generalist species
A generalist species is able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of a variety of different natural resource, resources (for example, a heterotroph with a varied diet (nutrition), diet). A specialist species can ...
, meaning that they may adapt to different environments to survive. This has worked to the detriment of human health, as the mosquito species has become very well adapted to spawning in dam reservoirs. As ''A. nili'' shifts its habitats to areas of high human concentration, they also begin to mate and spawn their young in nearby reservoirs, such as dams. This of course allows spread of malaria to the nearby populace.
As Malaria Carriers
Mosquitoes are well known carriers of malaria, ''A. nili'' being without exception. As a native species that has adapted to live with the environmental changes of Cameroon it marks itself as a common species found to be carrying malarial parasites in the newly built dams of Cameroon.
Dam development in Cameroon marks itself as a grave detriment to native populations health, through the spread of malaria. Dam developments in particular, because mass environmental changes alter the balance of disease hosts,
vectors, and parasite development.
Studies have been made in recent history before and after dams are built in Cameroon to better understand the method in how malaria is transmitted. It was found in studies dating back as long as1979, where native mosquitoes, like ''A. nili,'' favoured dams as breeding grounds; and thus ripe for malaria breakouts. It was also found in those researches that the malarial parasites are found in the midgut of mosquitoes, that being an example of the parasites persistence.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13853830
nili
NILI was a Jewish espionage network which assisted the United Kingdom in its fight against the Ottoman Empire in Palestine between 1915 and 1917, during World War I. NILI is an acronym which stands for the Hebrew phrase "Netzah Yisrael Lo Yesha ...
Insects described in 1904