-

With regard to the importance of using biological
_
methods and sanitation in the control of mosquitoes and the mosquito-transmited diseases, a comprehensive study
on the characteristics of the mosquito larval breeding sites were carried out in the districts of Minab during
1983-1984. In this program a total of 6500 fourth instar mosquito larvae from 217 breeding sites in 12 districts,
representing 20 species in 5 genera, were collected. Seven species belonged to the subfamily Anophelinae and
the remainder to the subfamily culicinae. The presence of four important malaria vectors, Anopheles stephensi,
An. fluviatilis , _. dthali and An. superpictus,
in this area where malaria is still the number one health
problem, is of great importance. Also presence of species *


such as Culex bitaeniorhynchus, Cx. pipiens, Cx.quinque¬fasciatus Cx. theileri, _. tritaeniorhynchus, Aedes
caspius and Aedes cabalus may have great consequence due to their role in transmitting arboviruses to human and
animals. This study showed 15 kinds of breeding sites in the districts of Minab. Seven types of them were of
natural breeding sites and the remainder were artificial ones. The natural breeding sites included the margins of
rivers 51. 7%, seepages 13.4%, pits 8.9%, Springs 5.3%, marshes 1,3%, natural meadows 0.9%, streams 0.4%., The
artificial breeding sites included the agriculture streams 4.9%, the main and secondary irrigation canals
of Minab dam 3.1%, ponds 2.7%, the stagnant water in palm plantations 2.2%, leakages 2.2%, wells 1.3%, palm irriga¬
tion canals 1.3% and the water oozing 0.4%. The charac¬teristics of the breeding sites of each species and their
local distribution in the districts of Minab have been
discussed seperately in this paper.