Tree-hole mosquito diversity in northwestern Argentina

JUAN P APARICIO

Manizales

Workshop; International and Interdisciplinary Workshop on Mathematical Modeling of Environment and Evolution of Social and Life Processes; 2017

During a three years period we collected mosquito larvae from water holding tree holes in two neighbouring environments the city and its adjacent forest. Seven species of mosquitoes were recorded: Aedes aegypti, Haemagogus spegazzinii, Sabethes purpureus, Toxorhynchites guadaloupensis, Aedes terrens, Haemagogus leucocelaenus and Sabethes petrocchiae. The city area (San Ramon de la Nueva Oran) is highly relevant epidemiologically as it is one main routes of introduction of dengue to northwest Argentina and experience recurrent dengue outbreaks while the surrounding Yungas rainforests are highly biologically diverse. The 7 mosquito species were recorded in both city sites and forested areas; however, their mosquito communities significantly diverged because of marked differences in the frequency and relative abundance of some species: Tx. guadeloupensis and Ae. aegypti were significantly more abundant in forest and urban areas, respectively. Positive significant associations were detected between Ae. aegypti, Hg. spegazzini and Hg. leucocelaenus. Overall results show an impoverished tree hole mosquito fauna in urban environments, reflecting negative effects of urbanization on mosquito diversity.