Dormancy
Temporarily unfavorable environmental conditions could be overcome
through dormancy—the interruption or reduction of metabolic activity
through diapause or quiescence—a response that has been demonstrated
in all major vector species (reviewed in Diniz et al. 2017). Dry-season
dormancy (i.e., aestivation) is likely one mechanism enabling An.
gambiae and An. coluzzi to persist during the three- to
six-month long dry season in the Sahel, as evidenced by very low
population sizes during the dry season followed by rapid increases after
the first rain (Lehmann et al. 2010, 2014, Adamou et al. 2011, Yaro et
al. 2012, Dao et al. 2014). However, there are no known examples of
dormancy mechanisms in ectotherms that respond solely to high
temperatures, thus this may be an unlikely response for mosquitoes,
particularly tropical species facing warming temperatures in humid
environments.