Habitat Preference of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus: a Case Study on Dengue Endemic Areas of Sumatera, Indonesia

Abstract

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) are vectors that cause dengue hemorrhagic fever. The cases of this disease have often become an extraordinary event in Bandar Lampung City, Indonesia. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze bioecological factors, i.e. habitat preference, larvae density, characteristics of the breeding sites, as well as the morphological and molecular identification of Ae. aegypti dan Ae. albopictus in dengue-endemic areas of Bandar Lampung. Results showed that the larval density of these vectors in three areas was moderate, and Ae. aegypti was found dominant. The Maya index (MI) values of Ae. aegypti showed moderate and low categories (87 and 13%), whereas those of Ae. albopictus were 91 and 9%, respectively. Seven and 11 characters of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus has been described, respectively. Additionally, their COI gene sequence (size of 725 bp) similarity values ranged from 98–99%. Data from the study can be used in planning a control strategy and identifying the main priority areas for entomological surveys toward disease epidemic control.