Larval Mosquito Habitat Utilization and Community Dynamics ofAedes albopictusandAedes japonicus(Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Ae. japonicus (Theobald) are important container-inhabiting mosquitoes that transmit disease agents, outcompete native species, and continue to expand their range in the United States. Both species deposit eggs in natural and artificial containers and thrive in peridomestic environments. The goal of our study was to examine the types and characteristics of containers that are most productive for these species in the northeastern United States. In total, 306 containers were sampled in urban, suburban, and rural areas of New Jersey. Multiple biotic and abiotic factors were recorded in an attempt to identify variables associated with the productivity of each species. Based on pupal abundance and density of container types, results showed that tires, trash cans, and planter dishes were the most important containers for Ae. albopictus, while planter dishes were the most important containers for Ae. japonicus. Container color (black and gray), material (rubber), and type (tires) were correlated with species presence for Ae. albopictus and Ae. japonicus. These factors may play a role in the selection of oviposition sites by female mosquitoes or in the survival of their progeny. Differences in species composition and abundance were detected between areas classified as urban, suburban, and rural. In urban and suburban areas, Ae. albopictus was more abundant in container habitats than Ae. japonicus; however, Ae. japonicus was more abundant in rural areas, and when water temperatures were below 14 degrees C. Our results suggest many variables can influence the presence of Ae. albopictus and Ae. japonicus in container habitats in northeastern United States.

Coexistence of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in Jinghong City, Yunnan Province: A Survey of Aedes aegypti Invasion

“…Aedes mosquito showed its preference with tires, the positive composition took up to 28%. The results are consistent with that of research papers on breeding sites [17][18][19][20]. The lowest positive jars in house in our results might have relevant with the vector control work in 2013.…”

The rise of the invasives and decline of the natives: insights revealed from adult populations of container-inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in temperate North America

“…Unlike Florida, where predators such as T. rutilus are an important component of the community assemblage (Ellis et al 2006;Griswold and Lounibos 2006), the only container mosquito predator in New Jersey is T. rutilus septentrionalis (Coquillett), a temperate subspecies which occurs in lower densities and exhibits higher rates of cannibalism Bartlett-Healy et al 2012). Additionally, the intraguild predation by A. triseriatus might not be significant in the field as corroborated by the local extinctions of A. triseriatus identified in our dataset.…”

Defining the risk of Zika and chikungunya virus transmission in human population centers of the eastern United States

“…albopictus. Studies confirm high densities and growing populations of this species across the eastern U.S. and as far north as New York [31][32][33]. A second necessary condition is that the female Ae.…”

“…In the United States, Ae. albopictus is now widespread throughout the eastern portion of the country, with increasingly urban association as the species has spread northward [5, 31,32]. Increases in geographic range, urban occupation, and human biting, would all seem to intensify the potential for this vector to transmit arboviruses to humans.…”