Deforestation Effects on the Survivorship and Reproductive Fitness of Anopheles gambiae

Three houses each in the forest and deforested area were used for this study during the dry season, and four houses each were used during the rainy season in all the forest, deforest, and lowland area. Also, 100 newly emerged female and 100 male An. gambiae raised in the insectary in Kisian were placed in a 30 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm metal-framed cage covered with polystyrene netting. Cages were suspended from the roof, 2 m above the ground, in the bedrooms of the selected houses. Human blood from the hand was provided to the mosquitoes for about 15 min every 2 days in the mornings. An oviposition substrate consisting of a petri dish lined with a Whatman filter paper was provided. Sugar solution 10% was dispensed using cotton wool in each cage. Number of eggs laid was counted daily. All dead mosquitoes were taken off the cages. Each cage had a HOBO^® data logger to record indoor temperature and humidity.