Open AccessLarval development of Culex quinquefasciatus in water with low to moderate
Author(s) -
Noori Navideh,
Lockaby B. Graeme,
Kalin Latif
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of vector ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.688
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1948-7134
pISSN - 1081-1710
DOI - 10.1111/jvec.12156
Subject(s) - culex quinquefasciatus , biology , larva , culex , nutrient , ecology , habitat , pupa , population , mosquito control , abundance (ecology) , aedes albopictus , mesocosm , zoology , aedes aegypti , demography , sociology , malaria , immunology
Population growth and urbanization have increased the potential habitats, and consequently the abundance of Culex quinquefasciatus , the southern house mosquito, a vector of West Nile Virus in urban areas. Water quality is critical in larval habitat distribution and in providing microbial food resources for larvae. A mesocosm experiment was designed to demonstrate which specific components of water chemistry are conducive to larval Culex mosquitoes. Dose–response relationships between larval development and NO 3 , NH 4 , and PO 4 concentrations in stream water were developed through this experiment to describe the isolated effects of each nutrient on pre‐adult development. The emergence pattern of Culex mosquitoes was found to be strongly related to certain nutrients, and results showed that breeding sites with higher PO 4 or NO 3 concentrations had higher larval survival rates. High NO 3 concentrations favor the development of male mosquitoes and suppress the development of female mosquitoes, but those adult females that do emerge develop faster in containers with high NO 3 levels compared to the reference group. The addition of PO 4 in the absence of nitrogen sources to the larval habitat slowed larval development, however, it took fewer days for larvae to reach the pupal stage in containers with combinations of NO 3 and PO 4 or NH 4 and PO 4 nutrients. Results from this study may bolster efforts to control WNV in urban landscapes by exploring water quality conditions of Culex larval habitats that produce adult mosquitoes.