Table 1 Descriptive variables assessed during field surveys of Anopheles funestus swarms
From: Swarms of the malaria vector Anopheles funestus in Tanzania
| Â | Variables | Methods used and indicators measured |
|---|---|---|
1 | Swarm size and copulation events | Visual estimates of swarm sizes: approximate number of mosquitoes in swarm, as estimated visually to the nearest 5 mosquitoes (observations were made between 10 and 15Â min after start of the swarm) |
Sweep net estimates of swarm sizes: approximate number of mosquitoes in the swarm, as estimated using standardized sweep nets, collected once by experienced collectors. Swarm size was a measure of density of mosquitoes per collection by sweep net per instance | ||
Copulation: number of copulation events observed in the swarm after 10Â min of observation | ||
2 | Location, time and height of swarms | Geo-location of the swarm measured using handheld GPS receivers |
Unique ID of compound owner (each swarm was uniquely identified on this parameter) | ||
Time of day when the swarm begins appearing, recorded to the nearest minute | ||
Time of day when the swarms completely disperse, also measured to the nearest minute | ||
Height measured as distance between the base of the swarm and the ground level in meters | ||
3 | Molecular identification and characteristics of sampled mosquitoes | Morphological and molecular identification of the species of Anopheles mosquitoes collected in the swarm |
Proportion of males caught that have evidence of being capable of mating (determined by observing the rotation of male genitalia) | ||
Measurements of wing size (mm) | ||
4 | Important landmarks and potential swarm markers | A record of important landmarks, at or near which swarms occur such as vegetation, house, mosques, markets, schools, water pumps, houses, cowshed, banana tree and cemeteries |