Efficiency of techniques for the mass release of sterile male Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann in El Salvador.

During a 3-year program that required daily releases of large numbers of sterile male Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann mosquitoes in a coastal area of El Salvador, we were able to compare methods of transport and release of adults and pupae. The disadvantages of the laboratory handling and packaging of adults were largely overcome when improved methods were devised for release of pupae. Such releases saved time and laboratory space and overcame several logistical problems arising from evening releases of the adults. We finally achieved 91.3% emergence with the pupal release methods.