Colonization of Anopheles maculatus from Central Java, Indonesia.

The routine colonization of Anopheles maculatus, a reputed malaria vector from Central Java, is described. The strain is free mating and long lived in the laboratory. This species will readily bloodfeed on small rodents and artificial membrane systems. Either natural or controlled temperatures, humidity, and lighting provide acceptable conditions for continuous rearing. A simple larval diet incorporating a 10:4 powdered mixture of dried beef and rice hulls proved acceptable. Using a variety of simple tools and procedures, this colony strain appears readily adaptable to rearing under most laboratory conditions. This appears to be the first report of continuous colonization using a free-mating strain of An. maculatus. Using this simple, relatively inexpensive method of mass colonization adds to the short list of acceptable laboratory populations used in the routine production of human-infecting plasmodia.