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A 24 month survey from July 2006 to June 2008 was carried out to determine the presence and relative
abundance of adult mosquito vectors in the sixteen local Government Areas of Ekiti State, Nigeria. Adult
mosquitoes were collected using sweep nets, aspirators, light trap methods and indoor pyrethrum spray
catch methods between the hours of 05.00 – 07.00 and 19.00 – 21.00 hours. Samples collected were
preserved in 70% ethanol and kept in the laboratory for further bioassays. Among the mosquitoes identified
were three malaria vectors; Anopheles gambiae, An. arabiensis and An. funestus which together made up
of only 24% of the total number (7468) collected. Aedes and Culex species found were Ae. aegypti, Ae.
albopitus, Ae. vittatus and Ae. palpalis which constituted 39% and Cx.(p) fatigans, Cx.(p) pipens, Cx.
quinquefasciatus and Cx.(p) tigripes constituting 37% of the mosquitoes collected. Of all the sixteen Local
Government Areas Surveyed, Ikere Local Government recorded the highest number of 7.6% which could
be due to the dense population of the town and its proximity to slow moving streams. Ise/Orun Local
Government had the lowest number of 4.5% of mosquitoes. However, the numbers of main malaria vectors
found were generally low. The month of August had the highest number of collection (13.1%) due to the
prolong rainfall, while the lowest mosquito collection were in the month of February (4.5%) probably due
to the reduction in the volume of water in the streams and the disappearance of temporary pools of water
which served as reservoir for the larvae.
Keywords: malaria, mosquito, rainfall