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1 November 2012 Community Ecology of Container Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Virginia Following Invasion by Aedes japonicus
Jennifer S. Armistead, Naoya Nishimura, Jorge R. Arias, L. Philip Lounibos
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Abstract

The success of an invasive species in a new region depends on its interactions with ecologically similar resident species. Invasions by disease vector mosquitoes are important as they may have ecological and epidemiological consequences. Potential interactions of a recent invasive mosquito, Aedes japonicus Theobald, with resident species in Virginia were evaluated by sampling larvae from containers and trapping adults. Distinct species compositions were observed for artificial containers and rock pools, with Ae. albopictus most abundant in the former and Ae. japonicus in the latter. However, these two species were found to co-occur in 21.2% of containers sampled. Among the six mosquito species most common in containers from May through September, 2006, only interspecific associations of Ae. japonicus with Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes triseriatus (Say) were significant, and both were negative. In addition to differences in habitat preference, mean crowding estimates suggest that interspecific repulsion may contribute to the significant negative associations observed between these species. High relative abundances of late instars and pupae of Ae. japonicus seem to provide this species with a mechanism of evading competition with Ae. albopictus, facilitating their coexistence in artificial containers. Although annual fluctuations were observed, trends in adult populations over a 6-yr period provide no evidence of declines. In summary, this survey of diverse container types and all life stages provided only limited evidence for competitive displacements or reductions of resident container species by Ae. japonicus, as observed elsewhere in its invasive range.

© 2012 Entomological Society of America
Jennifer S. Armistead, Naoya Nishimura, Jorge R. Arias, and L. Philip Lounibos "Community Ecology of Container Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Virginia Following Invasion by Aedes japonicus," Journal of Medical Entomology 49(6), 1318-1327, (1 November 2012). https://doi.org/10.1603/ME11261
Received: 23 November 2011; Accepted: 1 August 2012; Published: 1 November 2012
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KEYWORDS
container-inhabiting
interspecific interaction
invasive
mosquito
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