Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 July 2009
A comparison of the mosquito fauna in a forest near Zika forest, Uganda, in July-August 1971, showed that Mansonia (Coquillettidia) fuscopennata (Theo.), Culex (C.) annulioris Theo. and M. (Mansonioides) africana (Theo.) made up 84% of the catch taken at 24-h human baits in a horizontal transect, whereas M. (C.) metallica (Theo.) made up 90% of those taken at rest. Precipitin tests showed that 98% of M. metallica and most individuals of the other Coquillettidia spp. had taken avian blood, but that two out of seven individuals of M. fuscopennata had taken primate blood. In olfactometer studies M. metallica did not respond to the human hand or a chicken. It is concluded that none of the Coquillettidia spp. caught resting, except M. fuscopennata, has any preference for man.