Open AccessDispersal ofCulexMosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) From a Wastewater Treatment Facility
Author(s) -
Alexander T. Ciota,
Cori L. Drummond,
Meghan A. Ruby,
Jason Drobnack,
Gregory D. Ebel,
Laura D. Kramer
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of medical entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.866
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 1938-2928
pISSN - 0022-2585
DOI - 10.1603/me11077
Subject(s) - biology , biological dispersal , culex , culex quinquefasciatus , vector (molecular biology) , ecology , zoology , larva , aedes aegypti , environmental health , population , medicine , biochemistry , gene , recombinant dna
A mark-recapture project examined dispersal and flight distances of Culex mosquitoes from a wastewater treatment plant in Albany, NY, during 2007 and 2008. A self-marking device was constructed to mark egressing mosquitoes with fluorescent marking powder. Mosquitoes were recaptured using 30 CDC miniature light traps located within a 2.0 km radius of the marking site. A total of 13 and 10 marked Culex mosquitoes were recaptured in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Culex mosquitoes traveled a minimum of 0.16 km, a maximum of 1.98 km and, following correction for decreasing trap density with distance, had a mean distance traveled of 1.33 km. Characterizing the dispersal patterns of these mosquitoes is important for understanding the distribution of West Nile virus and other pathogens.