A PRELIMINARY NOTE ON THE MOSQUITO FAUNA ( DIPTERA : CULICIDAE ) OF SOUTHERN COASTAL DISTRICTS OF ORISSA s

The family Culicidae consists of 41 genera and 3500 species known all over the world. Of these, 320 species of 37 genera of mosquitoes are reported from India. Barraud (1934) studied the Indian mosquito fauna and recorded 250 species of Culicinae with type localities in greater India. The mosquito fauna of coastal Orissa was first studied by Fry (1912) and reported the presence of 5 anopheline species. After a gap of over three decades Rodenwaldt recorded 21 sps. of Anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera : Culicidae) from the coastal belt of Orissa. Subsequently Nagpal and Sharma (1983) recorded 32 species of mosquitoes belonging to six genera from coastal districts of Orissa. Later Dash et al. (2000) reported 8 sps. of Culicinae and 14 spp of Anopheline mosquitoes from Chilika Lake area; Rajavel et al. (2005a, b) reported 74 species belonging to 12 genera and 20 subgenera from Jeypore hill tracks of Orissa and fortythree species of mosquitoes belonging to 21 subgenera and 13 genera, from mangrooves of Bhiterkanika.


INTRODUCTION
The family Culicidae consists of 41 genera and 3500 species known all over the world.Of these, 320 species of 37 genera of mosquitoes are reported from India.Barraud (1934) studied the Indian mosquito fauna and recorded 250 species of Culicinae with type localities in greater India.The mosquito fauna of coastal Orissa was first studied by Fry (1912) and reported the presence of anopheline species.After a gap of over three decades Rodenwaldt recorded 21 sps. of Anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera : Culicidae) from the coastal belt of Orissa.Subsequently Nagpal and Sharma (1983) recorded 32 species of mosquitoes belonging to six genera from coastal districts of Orissa.Later Dash et al. (2000) reported 8 sps. of Culicinae and 14 spp of Anopheline mosquitoes from Chilika Lake area; Rajavel et al. (2005a, b) reported 74 species belonging to 12 genera and subgenera from Jeypore hill tracks of Orissa and fortythree species of mosquitoes belonging to subgenera and 13 genera, from mangrooves of Bhiterkanika.
The need for the identification of the mosquitoes is urgently required because some of the mosquito species are the vectors of important tropical diseases including malaria, dengu, filariasis, etc.Although the organizations such as National Centre for Malaria Research (NIMR), Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC, Bhubaneswar), Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC) and National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) are doing a handful work on mosquito biology, but the taxonomy of Indian mosquito is far from complete.The need to identify and inventorise the mosquito species from the Orissa state is very essential because the state is known to experience a series of epidemics of mosquito-borne diseases.Keeping in view of the major outbreaks of cerebral malaria, filariasis, chikungunia, dengue and other vector borne diseases an attempt has * Regional medical Research Centre, ICMR, Bhubaneswar.
been made here by the authors to report the mosquito fauna collected from the unexplored shoreline habitats of Puri, Khurda and Ganjam District.
The indoor collections of resting mosquitoes were made by spray of pyrethrum solution in a closed room on white cotton bed-sheets.Human bait collection methods were also employed in outdoor situations by flashing light.Only adult mosquitoes were collected and preserved for identification.
A total of 140 examples of mosquito specimens were collected during this preliminary survey and identified with reference to Christophers (1933), Barraud (1934), Nagpal et aZ.(2005), Iyengar and Menon (1955).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The current higher level of classification, taxonomic citation of species studied, their distribution, breeding sources and biology in relation to disease vector status were provided in order.The taxonomic arrangement of species in the paper follows the work of Bram (1967) Recorded: Coastal plains of Orissa.
Remarks: Species breeds in clean-water tanks with grassy edges, ponds, streams, water drains, river bed pools and rice fields (at least 45 cm long).