The Natural History of Larval Mosquito Habitats

Birley, Martin; Laird, Marshall

doi:10.2307/5049

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Landscape context is likely to have multifaceted effects on mosquito community composition through its in uence on biotic and abiotic conditions that affect mosquito life cycles. Differences in temperature, habitat structural complexity, and biotic context associated with tree cover are all likely to affect the presence and abundance of mosquito species that vary in their thermal niches, aquatic breeding habitat requirements, and preferred groups of vertebrates for blood meals (Laird, 1988; Gutman et al, 2004;Mordecai et al, 2019;Prevedello et al, 2019). Indeed, previously documented shifts in mosquito communities across habitats show associations between forest conversion and low mosquito biodiversity, and suggest that high rates of land use change and active invasions by major vector species are together reshaping mosquito communities in ways that increase disease risk (Ferraguti et al, 2016; Meyer Steiger, Ritchie and Laurance, 2016; Burkett-Cadena and Vittor, 2018; .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local tree cover predicts mosquito species richness and disease vector presence in a tropical countryside landscape

Farner,

Howard,

Smith

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Context Land use change drives both biodiversity loss and zoonotic disease transmission in tropical countryside landscapes. Developing solutions for protecting countryside biodiversity, public health, and livelihoods requires understanding the scales at which habitat characteristics such as land cover shape biodiversity, especially for arthropods that transmit pathogens. Evidence increasingly shows that species richness for many taxa correlates with local tree cover. Objectives We investigated whether mosquito species richness, community composition, and presence of disease vector species responded to land use and tree cover – and if so, whether at spatial scales similar to other taxa. Methods We paired a field survey of mosquito communities in agricultural, residential, and forested lands in rural southern Costa Rica with remotely sensed tree cover data. We compared mosquito community responses to tree cover surrounding survey sites measured across scales, and analyzed community responses to land use and environmental gradients. Results Tree cover was positively correlated with mosquito species richness, and negatively correlated with the presence of the common invasive dengue vector Aedes albopictus, particularly at small spatial scales of 80 – 200m. Land use predicted community composition and Ae. albopictus presence. Environmental gradients of tree cover, temperature, and elevation explained 7% of species turnover among survey sites. Conclusions The results suggest that preservation and expansion of tree cover at local scales can protect biodiversity for a wide range of taxa, including arthropods, and also confer protection against disease vector occurrence. The identified spatial range of tree cover benefits can inform land management for conservation and public health protection.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local tree cover predicts mosquito species richness and disease vector presence in a tropical countryside landscape

Farner,

Howard,

Smith

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…The environment for mosquito larvae can affect their life history traits (Laird 1988, Carvajal-Lago et al 2021. Diet particularly has been shown to affect development and survival among several mosquito species (e.g., Muturi et al 2011, Linenberg et al 2016, Weger-Lucarelli et al 2018, Paige et al 2019.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant pollen as a resource affecting the development and survival of the mosquitoes Anopheles quadrimaculatus and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Taka

Yee

2023

Journal of Medical Entomology

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Mosquito larvae often subsist on inputs of terrestrial-derived resources, including leaves and dead insects. However, seasonal inputs of plant pollen is an underexplored resource for many species. We compared the effects of three levels (low, medium, high) of two pollen types (corn, pine) on development, mass, and survival in Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Say) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) (Diptera: Culcidae). We also examined the nutrient content of adults (%nitrogen, %carbon, C:N) and stable isotopes (δ15N, δ13C). Culex quinquefasciatus had the highest survival rates when grown on high and medium pine pollen compared with low pine. Survival of Culex quinquefasciatus was generally higher compared to that of An. quadrimaculatus on any level of pine, with the latter species having higher survival in high corn. Nutrient content for An. quadrimaculatus did not vary significantly in either pollen type or amount but were more enriched in δ15N in corn pollen relative to pine pollen. For Cx. quinquefasciatus, %N decreased and C:N ratio increased across low to high amounts of corn. Adults raised in corn had generally more δ13C compared to pine pollen. No developmental differences across diets were observed for either species, however both sexes of Cx. quinquefasciatus were generally larger when grown in high pine and medium and high corn pollen compared with other treatments. The poor performance of An. quadrimaculatus on corn pollen was unexpected, however, we show a benefit of corn pollen to Cx. quinquefasciatus with implications for West Nile virus transmission in the United States, especially around agricultural areas where corn is grown.

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“…Landscape context is likely to have multifaceted effects on mosquito community composition through its influence on biotic and abiotic conditions that affect mosquito life cycles. Differences in temperature, habitat structural complexity, and biotic context associated with tree cover are all likely to affect the presence and abundance of mosquito species that vary in their thermal niches, aquatic breeding habitat requirements, and preferred groups of vertebrates for blood meals (Laird, 1988;Gutman et al, 2004;Mordecai et al, 2019;Prevedello et al, 2019). Indeed, previously documented shifts in mosquito communities across habitats show associations between forest conversion and low mosquito biodiversity, and suggest that high rates of land use change and active invasions by major vector species are together reshaping mosquito communities in ways that increase disease risk (Ferraguti et al, 2016;Meyer Steiger, Ritchie and Laurance, 2016;Burkett-Cadena and Vittor, 2018;.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local tree cover predicts mosquito species richness and disease vector presence in a tropical countryside landscape

Farner,

Howard,

Smith

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Land use change is an important driver of both biodiversity loss and zoonotic disease transmission in tropical countryside landscapes. Developing solutions for protecting biodiversity, public health, and livelihoods in working landscapes requires understanding the spatial scales at which habitat characteristics such as land cover shape biodiversity, especially for arthropods that transmit pathogens. A growing body of evidence shows that species richness for many taxa correlates with tree cover at small spatial scales of <100 m, indicating that local tree cover management is a promising conservation tool. To investigate whether mosquito species richness, community composition, and presence of specific disease vector species respond to tree cover— and if so, whether at spatial scales similar to other taxa—we surveyed mosquito communities along a tree cover gradient and across agricultural, residential, and forested land uses in rural southern Costa Rica. We found that tree cover was both positively correlated with mosquito species richness and negatively correlated with the presence of the common invasive dengue vectorAedes albopictus, particularly at small spatial scales of 80 – 200m. Beyond tree cover, land use type predicted community composition andAe. albopictuspresence, but not species richness. The results suggest that preservation and expansion of tree cover at local scales can protect biodiversity for a wide range of taxa and also confer protection against disease vector occurrence.

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The Natural History of Larval Mosquito Habitats

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

Local tree cover predicts mosquito species richness and disease vector presence in a tropical countryside landscape

Local tree cover predicts mosquito species richness and disease vector presence in a tropical countryside landscape

Plant pollen as a resource affecting the development and survival of the mosquitoes Anopheles quadrimaculatus and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Local tree cover predicts mosquito species richness and disease vector presence in a tropical countryside landscape

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