RESUMO
Introducción. Dada la importancia de Aedes albopictus en la salud pública, es necesario caracterizar los criaderos para establecer medidas de control. Objetivo. Caracterizar en función de los parámetros físico-químicos y grupos de organismos presentes, los criaderos de los estadios inmaduros de Ae. albopictus en Leticia, Amazonas. Materiales y métodos. Se inspeccionaron 154 viviendas en el área urbana en diciembre 2002 y enero 2003, para buscar criaderos de Ae. albopictus y otros dípteros con estadios acuáticos inmaduros. En los criaderos con resultados positivos se tomaron datos físico-químicos cualitativos y cuantitativos: exposición al sol, ubicación, tamaño, material, conductividad, turbidez, oxígeno disuelto, temperatura y presencia de macroinvertebrados y plancton. Los resultados se compararon mediante análisis descriptivos, análisis de componentes principales, dendrogramas de clasificación e índices de diversidad. Resultados. Se encontraron 21 criaderos con larvas de dípteros, 13 con Ae. albopictus; 92% de ellos estaban ubicados en el peridomicilio, en recipientes pequeños o medianos, dispuestos en la sombra, con baja turbidez y conductividad, bajos índices de diversidad para macroinvertebrados y altos para organismos productores de plancton. En el análisis de componentes principales, se encontró correlación significativa con ácaros, oligoquetos y hemípteros (macroinvertebrados), y con bacilarofíceas, clorofíceas y cianofíceas (plancton). En presencia de otros culícidos, las larvas de Ae. albopictus fueron escasas. Conclusión. En este estudio se encontró que las hembras de Ae. albopictus depositan sus huevos en depósitos de agua recién establecidos con disponibilidad suficiente de recurso, baja conductividad y turbidez, y menor competencia intraespecífica e interespecífica.
Introduction. Because the role of Aedes albopictus as an incriminated vector of several viral pathogens, its control is important to human health. To establish appropriate control methods, characterization of the larval habitats is a necessary first step. Objective. Habitats of the immature stages of Ae. albopictus were characterized with respect to physical-chemical parameters and by floral and faunal arrays present. Materials and methods. Leticia is located at the southern most tip of Colombia on the banks of the Amazon River. In the urban area, 154 houses were inspected in December 2002 and January 2003. Physical-chemical data were collected, including exposure to sunlight, location, container size and material, water conductivity, and dissolved oxygen. Macroinvertebrates and plankton samples were taken at each positive larval site. The results were compared using descriptive analysis, principal component analysis, classification dendrograms, and diversity indexes. Results. Twenty-one habitats were found positive for Diptera, and 13 were positive for Ae. albopictus larvae. Most of the positive habitats (92%) were located near the houses-they were small or medium size receptacles located in the shade. This water generally had low conductivity and low turbidity, although high values of these parameters were also identified. The habitats had low diversity indexes for macroinvertebrates and high diversity indexes for plankton. In the principal component analysis, significant correlation was found with mites, oligochaetes and hemipterans (the macroinvertebrates) and with bacilarophyceaes, clorophyceaes and cianophyceas (the algal forms). Conclusion. In Leticia, females of Ae. albopictus were found in newly established habitats with sufficient availability of resources, low conductivity, and turbidity, lower intra-and interspecific competition.