Reddya Naik Bannoth, Siddaiah Madapathi, Durgam Abhinav Kumar
Background: Rapid urbanization in tropical megacities creates diverse microhabitats that sustain dense mosquito populations. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, with over 10 million residents, faces significant public health concerns regarding mosquito-borne diseases.
Methods: A systematic entomological survey was conducted (2016 and2018) across 18 sampling circles in five administrative zones. Mosquitoes were identified using CDC miniature light traps and outdoor resting collections. Spearman rank correlations assessed associations between abundance and urban ecological variables (water body density and informal housing).
Results: A total of 9,021 mosquitoes representing 12 species were identified. Culex quinquefasciatus was dominant (64.27%). The North Zone recorded the highest abundance (31.78%) and richness (S=11), correlating with water body density (rs=0.700). High slum densities in South and Central zones were linked to elevated Cx. quinquefasciatus and Anopheles stephensi populations.
Conclusion: These findings establish a zone-stratified baseline for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, linking mosquito dynamics to urban landscape. The results underscore the urgent need for ecologically informed, zone-specific integrated vector management.
Reddya Naik Bannoth, Siddaiah Madapathi, Durgam Abhinav Kumar, 2026. MOSQUITO POPULATION DYNAMICS IN GREATER HYDERABAD: SPATIAL VARIABILITY, SPECIES DIVERSITY, AND LINKS TO URBAN WATER AND HOUSING. Journal of Medical Arthropodology & Public Health 6(1): 1197–1216.