Temporal patterns of mosquito abundance in Saint Tammany Parish, Southeast Louisiana.

GLEISER, R. M.; CAMPANELLA R.; SHELBY B.; C.T. PALMISANO; M.E. HUGH-JONES; WESSON D.M.

Fort Lauderdale, FL., EEUU

Congreso; Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting and Exhibition; 2002

A project was designed to identify temporal and spatial factors that affect mosquito populations associated with arboviral transmission. This presentation describes the seasonal patterns of the mosquito fauna at an Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus focus in southeast Louisiana. Mosquitoes were collected weekly over a period of 18 months using fiber pots as resting boxes at 16 sites located on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St Tammany Parish. Landing collections were also made and rainfall, temperature, humidity, and habitat characteristics were recorded at the sites. All specimens were tested for virus infection. In all, 33 species were collected. Culex nigripalpus, Psorophora ferox and Cx. salinarius were the most abundant species. An unusually dry winter in 2000-2001 probably resulted in several species being detected earlier in 2002 than in 2001. Culex nigripalpus was collected in resting pots most of the year, but no females were collected landing after June, suggesting a change in host preferences. Culiseta melanura was active most of the year, and the presence of males in December and January suggest that it may emerge during winter months. Most Culex species peaked in the spring (April to June), while Aedes and Ochlerotatus increased in the summer (July-August) in relation to rainfall patterns. Anopheles was present most of the year and was more abundant in spring (May-June) and fall (October to December). Coquillettidia perturbans was present during the summer but was more abundant in September and October.