ABSTRACT
Mosquito community composition and population dynamics were compared to weather variables and land use/cover data during 2008 to determine which variables affected population dynamics at the J.W. Jones Ecological Research Center in southwestern Georgia. Models relating adult mosquito distributions to weather variables and time of year were compared using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) model selection. Precipitation, temperature, humidity, and Keetch-Byram Drought Index were important factors correlated with mosquito abundance or presence/absence for the species considered. A cluster analysis, which grouped eight sites based on the percentages of land use/cover and hydric soils located in a 1-km radius surrounding collection sites, and an indicator species analysis were used to investigate the associations among 11 mosquito species and sites with similar land use/cover. Aedes albopictus (Skuse), Culex coronator Dyar & Knab, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, and Culex salinarius Coquillett were associated with sites that had the most anthropogenic influence, while Coquillettidia perturbans (Walker) and Psorophora ferox (von Humboldt) were associated with natural land cover such as wetlands and forested land. This study demonstrates that regional climate and land use/cover data can be predictive of the population dynamics of certain mosquito populations and is the first to examine how the distribution of Cx. coronator adults relate to land use/cover in the southeastern United States.
Subject(s)
Culicidae , Population Dynamics , Weather , Aedes , Animals , Biota , Cluster Analysis , Culex , Demography , Environment , Georgia , Humidity , Models, Theoretical , TemperatureABSTRACT
We investigated mosquito and bird involvement in West Nile virus (WNV) transmission in July 2001 in Jefferson County, FL, and Lowndes County, GA. We detected 16 WNV-infected pools from Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. salinarius, Cx. nigripalpus, and Culiseta melanura. In Florida, 11% of 353 bird sera neutralized WNV. Antibody prevalence was greatest in northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis, 75%), northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottus, 50%), common ground-dove (Columbina passerina, 25%), common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula, 15%), domestic chicken (Gallus gallus, 16%), and house sparrow (Passer domesticus, 11%). Antibody-positive birds were detected in nine of 11 locations, among which prevalence in chickens ranged from 0% to 100%. Seropositive chickens were detected in Georgia as well. The primary transmission cycle of WNV in the southeastern United States apparently involves Culex mosquitoes and passerine birds. Chickens are frequently infected and may serve as effective sentinels in this region.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Viral/blood , Bird Diseases/epidemiology , Chickens , Culicidae/virology , Insect Vectors/virology , West Nile Fever/veterinary , Animals , Bird Diseases/transmission , Birds , Disease Vectors , Poultry Diseases/epidemiology , Poultry Diseases/transmission , Sentinel Surveillance , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Southeastern United States/epidemiology , West Nile Fever/epidemiology , West Nile Fever/transmission , West Nile virusABSTRACT
Field tests were conducted to assess the effectiveness of American Biophysics Counterflow 2000 (CF2000) traps compared to CO2-baited Centers for Disease Control (CDC) miniature traps at a site in central Sweden. Adult mosquitoes representing 17 species and 6 genera were collected in July and August 1998. Although the 2 trap types did not differ significantly in total number of adult female mosquitoes collected, CF2000 traps captured a greater diversity of mosquito species and significantly more adult males than did CDC traps. Interspecific differences in capture rates and interactions between trap type and location also were observed.
