'A mate or a meal'--pre-gravid behaviour of female Anopheles gambiae from the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, West Africa.

Background: Malaria prevalence differs between the two islands that comprise the archipelago of São Tomé and Príncipe. This may be due to differences in the biology of local Anopheles gambiae, the only vector on the islands. Survival rate and feeding frequency are two factors influencing vectorial capacity.