A subspecies of mosquito, the Goundry, has been discovered and named after the area in which it was found. The insect, which has proven itself as highly susceptible to the malaria parasite favours the outdoors and is yet another challenge facing scientists in the battle against malaria, which kills nearly one million people every year.
Unlike other mosquitoes that prefer to rest indoors, the Goundry prefers open spaces so regular methods of prevention such as nets and sprays cannot be put in place. Mosquitoes that stay outdoors are extremely difficult to catch or even trap for experimentation. The only option for scientists now is to capture the mosquito in its larval stage and observe its feeding habits in order to estimate the threat this subspecies may pose.
Nearly half of the world’s population live in malaria endemic regions.