Influence of Water Chemical and Environmental Parameters on Larval Mosquito Dynamics in Tires

Abstract

The community structure of mosquito larvae (Diptera: Culicidae) in discarded tires from an 8-ha tire yard was examined in relation to environmental and water chemical parameters. Shaded tires contained over three times as many larvae as sun-exposed tires. Sun-exposed tires were dominated by Aedes atropalpus (Coquillett) (52%), Aedes triseriatus (Say) (24%), and Culex restuans Theobald (18%), whereas A. triseriatus alone accounted for 89% of the total larvae in shaded tires. The oviposition rate of A. triseriatus was 30 times higher in shaded areas than in exposed areas. Significant differences were found between exposed and shaded tires for 12 of 14 environmental variables. Densities of three mosquito species were significantly correlated with levels of ammonia, color, and turbidity of water in tires. Oviposition preferences, the spacial distribution of tires, and water quality regulate larval mosquito dynamics in tire yards