A survey on the status of arthropods of medical importance in Okorombokho, Nigeria

Abstract

A survey on the occurrence of arthropods of medical importance in Okorombokho, Nigeria was carried out, from December 2016 to May 2017. Both aquatic and terrestrial habitats were surveyed. A scoop net was used for the collection of aquatic specimens, while a sweep net and various traps (pit fall, light and sticky traps) were used for terrestrial investigations. A total of 1094 arthropods were collected, of which 308 were of medical importance. These were Callinectes amnicola, ixodid ticks (12.01%) and some insect vectors. Insect vectors collected included Periplaneta americana (4.22%, Blattodea) and dipterans of the families Psychodidae (40.26%), Ceratopogonidae (22.10%), Muscidae (16.23%) and Culicidae (4.87%). Results obtained from t-test revealed that the seasonal variation in abundance of the medically important arthropods was significant. Shannon Wiener’s diversity index (H′) revealed that the terrestrial habit was more diverse (3.22) than the aquatic habitat (1.32). It is therefore pertinent to draw up a program targeted at the control of these vectors.