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Septic tank mosquitoes: competition between species in central Nigeria
Author(s) -
IRVINGBELL R. J.,
OKOLI E. I.,
DIYELONG D. Y.,
LYIMO E. O.,
ONYIA O. C.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
medical and veterinary entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2915
pISSN - 0269-283X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2915.1987.tb00350.x
Subject(s) - biology , culex quinquefasciatus , dry season , wet season , ecology , abundance (ecology) , aedes aegypti , septic tank , competition (biology) , veterinary medicine , larva , environmental science , medicine , environmental engineering
. Exit traps, placed over the air vents of septic tanks, were used to examine species diversity and relative abundance of mosquitoes breeding in ammonia‐rich waters of septic tanks. Of the six species found, Culex deceits Theobald and Culex cinereus Theobald appeared to be competing successfully with Culex quinquefasciatus Say during the wet season but not during the long dry season. The seasonal timing of their displacement by Cx quinquefasciatus was variable and did not correlate well with climatic factors. The three other species present, generally during the wet season and early dry season, were Culex tigripes G. & C, Culex horridus Edwards and Aedes aegypti (L.). Experimental bucket ovitraps were used to assess preference towards covered (dark) septic tank water in comparison with sunlit septic tank water, covered and sunlit compost water. These were colonized by Cx quinquefasciatus, Cx decens, Ae.aegypti and Ae.vittatus Bigot. The covered septic tank water was more abundantly colonized by Cx quinquefasciatus and marginally so by the two Aedes species. Cx decens appeared to colonize the exposed compost water more readily in the dry season, but changed to the covered septic tank water in the wet season. The discussion centres around competition between these mosquito species and concludes that it would be useful to know what environmental factors, or what aspects of competition, lead to severe natural reductions in the abundance of the major pest species Cx quinquefasciatus.