%0 Journal Article %T Blood Meal Preference of Some Anopheline Mosquitoes in Command and Non-command Areas of Rajasthan, India %A Kailash Kumar Swami %A Meera Srivastava %J Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases %D 2012 %I Tehran University of Medical Sciences %X Background: The present study was undertaken to compare the entomological situation by analyzing the bloodmeal of mosquitoes of canal irrigated and non-irrigated areas of Bikaner in order to explore scientific information onthe vector biology and malaria burden profile and to plan proper strategies for malaria control and eradication.Methods: Adult mosquitoes were collected and the abdomen of the blood fed females were crushed on a filter paperfor blood meal analysis and subjected to precipitin test.Results: The blood meal analysis showed that Anopheles subpictus had a preference towards cattle blood, An.culicifacies and An. stephensi preferred human blood, while, An. annularis was noted to feed only on bovine blood.Conclusion: Although An. annularis, has been recently reported from the area, was found to feed exclusively onbovine blood, earlier reports suggest that this species is a vector of malaria and therefore preventive measuresshould be taken well in advance before this species gets established in the area. %K Malaria %K Anopheline mosquitoes %K Canal irrigated (Command area) %K non-command area %K Thar Desert %U http://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/178/110