The invasive shrub Prosopis juliflora enhances the malaria parasite transmission capacity of Anopheles mosquitoes
A habitat manipulation experiment that removed the flowering branches of highly attractive Prosopis juliflora from villages in Mali
Abstract
A neglected aspect of alien invasive plant species is their influence on mosquito vector ecology and malaria transmission. Invasive plants that are highly attractive to Anopheles mosquitoes provide them with sugar that is critical to their survival. The effect on Anopheles mosquito populations was examined through a habitat manipulation experiment that removed the flowering branches of highly attractive Prosopis juliflora from selected villages in Mali, West Africa.
Citation
Muller, G.C., Junnila, A., Traore, M.M., Traore, S.F., Doumbia, S., Sissoko, F. Dembele, S.M., Schlein, Y., Arheart, K.L., Revay, E.E., Kravchenko, V.D., Witt, A. and Beier, J.C. (2017) The invasive shrub Prosopis juliflora enhances the malaria parasite transmission capacity of Anopheles mosquitoes: a habitat manipulation experiment. Malaria Journal 16(237), 9 pp.