An animal’s particular level of dominance within the group that they live with has been observed by various studies on its impact in regards to obtaining food, finding sexual partners, and how conflict is dealt with. Macaca fascicularis is a species of primate found all over Southeast Asia in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and Thailand. They are most commonly known as long-tailed macaques. Studies show that they are matrilineal the males leave tend to leave their groups upon sexual maturity, preserving an abundant of female to male ratio. Studies show that the more dominant males within groups containing multiple males are given higher priority for the access of essential elements such as food and mate selection, sustaining the fitness of the individual. The males who are dominant to the other males should displaying aggressive behavior such as biting, kicking, directed vocalization, lunging, chasing, and threatening gestures suggesting imminent attack whilst the submissive male must in turn perform a submissive behavior. These include lip smacking, fleeing, avoiding, vocalization, or grimacing. We found, through open field observance, that between the only two adult male long-tailed macaques that lived in the observed group, that there was a significant difference in perceived dominance based on agonistic and submissive interactions. Also, the dominant male spent significantly more time engaging in sexual behavior than the submissive male, which aids the supporting the hypothesis that there is a link between dominance and frequency of sexual behavior in groups of long-tailed macaques. The observations that made helped discern how aggressiveness impacts the lives of male animals and their ability to survive and reproduce and provided data on group dynamics, which is important to the overall management of the island population. Supported in part by the UW Center for Global Field Study; PSSP-IPB, Indonesia.

Malaria is a complex disease that poses an immense global public health burden with an annual death rate estimated between 1.5 and 2.5 million. An inclusive understanding of transmission dynamics is essential for the continuing development, improvement, and implementation of vector control strategies. Success will depend on extensive taxonomic research and advanced knowledge of malaria vectors, malaria parasites, and their developing resistance to insecticides and drugs. Examinations into host-parasite relationships among nonhuman primate malarias are needed to identify other likely species of Plasmodium malaria parasites capable of causing zoonoses. The vectors of malaria belong to the mosquito genus Anopheles and there are more than a dozen species of Anopheles malaria vectors affecting Indonesia. In July, I will travel to Tinjil Island, located off the coast of West Java. There is no current record of mosquito fauna for Tinjil and consequently no data regarding which malaria parasites affect it. My investigations into these matters will be essential to the operation of local fisherman camps and the natural habitat breeding colony of Macaca fascicularis, the long-tailed macaque. I will collect samples of larvae, pupae and adult forms of mosquitoes on mainland Java for confirmation of the Anopheles genus before heading to Tinjil. On Tinjil I will collect samples of larvae, pupae and adult forms for genus and species identification by utilizing an onsite stereomicroscope. I expect to follow up this initial entomological survey with molecular detection methods to identify possible members of a species complex, morphologically indistinguishable Anopheles taxa, which may display differing abilities to transmit malaria. By identifying these species of mosquito, the implementation of integrated vector management policies needed to improve the current vector control strategies for West Java and surrounding areas will be possible.