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20 September 2018 Mosquitoes of the Caatinga. III. Larval Habitats, Frequency, and Dynamics of Immature and Adult Stages in a Dry Brazilian Forest
Roseli La Corte, Pollyana Conceição Romão Maia, Silvio Santana Dolabella, Danilo Esdras Rocha Cruz, Letícia Silva Marteis
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Abstract

Even though the seasonally dry tropical Caatinga forest is an historically neglected biome, recent studies have enhanced our knowledge of its biodiversity. We investigated larval habitats as well as the frequency and dynamics of immature and adult Culicidae in a conservation unit within the Caatinga in the Brazilian state of Sergipe. We carried out monthly surveys between July 2011 and October 2012 to count both immature (tree holes, bromeliad tanks, ponds, and rock holes and depressions) and adult individuals (Shannon traps baited with light). In total 8,021 individuals representing 32 taxa, eight of which are currently undescribed, were collected. The majority of the specimens collected came from tree holes followed by bromeliads, ponds, and rock depressions. Ponds had the highest species richness in this survey while the bromeliad fauna exhibited high endemicity. We also reveal a correlation between precipitation during the month prior to collection and the abundance of immature individuals in tree holes. Peaks in Haemagogus sp. near spegazzinii and Aedes terrens abundance were observed soon after rain, whereas Culex conservator was abundant during the rainy season in tree holes evidencing a species rotation within this habitat. Although the results of this study contribute to our knowledge regarding the distribution of mosquitoes in Brazilian semiarid region, further taxonomic studies will be required to fully understand the richness and endemism of the Neotropical Culicidae fauna.

© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Roseli La Corte, Pollyana Conceição Romão Maia, Silvio Santana Dolabella, Danilo Esdras Rocha Cruz, and Letícia Silva Marteis "Mosquitoes of the Caatinga. III. Larval Habitats, Frequency, and Dynamics of Immature and Adult Stages in a Dry Brazilian Forest," Journal of Medical Entomology 56(1), 120-128, (20 September 2018). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjy160
Received: 26 March 2018; Accepted: 13 August 2018; Published: 20 September 2018
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KEYWORDS
biodiversity
conservation
tropical insect ecology
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