The prevalence of vector-borne parasites varies greatly across host species, and this heterogeneity has been used to relate infectious disease susceptibility to host species traits. However, a few empirical studies have directly associated vector-borne parasite prevalence with exposure to vectors across hosts. Here, we use DNA sequencing of blood meals to estimate utilization of different avian host species by Culex mosquitoes, and relate utilization by these malaria vectors to avian Plasmodium prevalence. We found that avian host species that are highly utilized as hosts by avian malaria vectors are significantly more likely to have Plasmodium infections. However, the effect was not consistent among individual Plasmodium taxa. Exposure to vector bites may therefore influence the relative number of all avian Plasmodium infections among host species, while other processes, such as parasite competition and host-parasite coevolution, delimit the host distributions of individual Plasmodium species. We demonstrate that links between avian malaria susceptibility and host traits can be conditioned by patterns of exposure to vectors. Linking vector utilization rates to host traits may be a key area of future research to understand mechanisms that produce variation in the prevalence of vector-borne pathogens among host species.

Anopheles sundaicus species A of the Southeast Asian A. sundaicus complex is formally named Anopheles epiroticus Linton & Harbach based on DNA sequence differentiation of the whole nuclear ITS2 region and a portion of both the cytochrome b and cytochrome c oxidase I mitochondrial genes. Detailed comparative morphological studies of the adult, larval and pupal stages did not reveal any differential or diagnostic differences that reliably distinguish A. epiroticus from A. sundaicus s.s. Information is provided on the bionomics and systematics of the new species.

A large pond, up to 2000 m2 area, adjacent to the sea at Jimbo, near Vanga, on the south coast of Kenya was studied for salinity and the presence of mosquito larvae 1980–1981. Rainfall peaked in November–December 1980 and again in March–May 1981, while salinity of the pond-water fluctuated inversely from dryness in February, more than 100% seawater equivalent in months before main rains, to below 13% seawater after the onset of rain in March.

Five types of mosquito larvae occurred in the pond: Aedes albocephalus mostly at 21–30% salinity (range 13–30%); Culex sitiens mostly at 31–40% salinity (range 13–54%); Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Culex thalassius mostly at 41–50% salinity (range 13–50%) and the Anopheles gambiae complex from 13 to 54% salinity, at least those at higher salinities being Anopheles merus. No larvae were present when salinity surpassed 54% through evaporation, or fell below 13% after rain. The most reliable way to limit or control these pest and vector mosquitoes at Jimbo would be to drain the pond into the sea after rainfall, so that mosquito populations could not increase by breeding sequentially, while salination proceeds.