Detection of Anopheles pseudopunctipennis (Diptera: Culicidae) in Cochabamba, Bolivia, after 90 years of suspected presence

Abstract

Objectives.This study provides the first confirmed record of the malaria vector Anopheles pseudopunctipennis in Cochabamba city, Bolivia, ending nearly 90 years of suspected presence since the malaria epidemics of the 1930s and 1940s. Additionally, it assesses the potential suitability of the region for this mosquito species. MethodsMosquito larvae were collected as part of a comprehensive survey of Culicidae in Cochabamba city and its suburbs. Larvae of An. pseudopunctipennis were collected on April 16, 2024, and reared to the fourth instar in the laboratory. One male specimen obtained from collected larvae was pinned. Specimens were morphologically identified using a standard identification key and species re-description. The larval identification was based on its unique spiracular apparatus, while adults were identified by their characteristic black hind tarsomeres and unspotted wing costa. The specimens are preserved in the Laboratory of Medical Entomology at UMSS, Cochabamba. ResultsA single larval habitat was identified in Lincoln Park, in the center of Cochabamba. It consisted of a 184 m{superscript 2} pond with a cement bottom, clear water with very slow flow from a small spring, and abundant Rhizoclonium algae. A Maxent habitat suitability model indicated that the Cochabamba Valley provides suitable environmental conditions for An. pseudopunctipennis. ConclusionsThis study provides the first concrete evidence of An. pseudopunctipennis in Cochabamba city, confirming its presence after decades of speculation. However, its low abundance and limited larval habitats due to urbanization and pollution suggest that it poses no significant malaria transmission risk in the area.