Anopheles gambiae
Anopheles gambiae is the most efficient malaria vector in the world, responsible for the majority of Plasmodium falciparum transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa. This single species complex drives a disease that kills roughly 600,000 people annually — most of them children under five.
It is a highly anthropophilic species — it prefers human blood over animal blood, enters houses readily, and rests indoors between feedings. This indoor biting and resting behaviour is precisely why insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying have been so effective: the mosquito has to come inside to do its work.
Biting activity is concentrated between late evening and early morning, peaking between 10 PM and 2 AM. This is fundamentally different from the daytime-biting Aedes species that carry dengue and Zika — malaria protection is a nighttime discipline.
Biting behaviour
Night-biting, peaking between 10 PM and 2 AM. Prefers human hosts. Enters houses to bite and often rests indoors afterwards.
Habitat
Sunlit, shallow, temporary water bodies — puddles, hoof prints, tyre tracks, rain pools. Adapts to both rural and urban settings wherever such breeding sites exist. Avoids deeply shaded or heavily vegetated water.
Diseases transmitted
How to identify
Where found
Sub-Saharan Africa, from West Africa through the Sahel, Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa. Absent from Madagascar (replaced by An. arabiensis) and North Africa.
Precautions
Recommended Protection
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Countries where Anopheles gambiae is relevant
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Vector information is sourced from WHO, CDC, and ECDC. Not medical advice. Personal decisions on repellents, vaccinations, or medication belong with a qualified travel health professional.