Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-5wvtr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-17T05:21:07.888Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

OVIPOSITION SITES OF AEDES VEXANS (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE): WET-PRAIRIE HABITATS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Robert J. Novak
Robert J. Novak
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Intensive sampling for eggs of Aedes vexans (Meigen) in upland wet-prairie habitats revealed that three species of plant, Echinochloa crusgalli (barnyard grass), Polygonum pennsylvanicum (smartweed), and Cyperus esculentus (yellow nutgrass), commonly occurring in contiguous U.S.A. and southern Canada and dense mats of vegetative detritus could be used as indicators of oviposition sites. Where a slope was steep, specific elevations indicated oviposition site preferences. Plant species and elevation were both indicators of areas where soil moisture was attractive to gravid females. Soil moistures between 55% and 69% were found optimal for oviposition.

Résumé

Des échantillonnages intensifs des oeufs d’Aedes vexans (Meigen) en prairies humides élevées, ont révélé que 3 espèces végétales, Echinochloa crusgalli (pied de coq), Polygonum pennsylvanicum (renouée de Pennsylvanie) et Cyperus esculentus (amande de terre), communes dans les régions contiguës des USA et du sud du Canada, de même que les tapis épais de débris végétaux, pouvaient être utilisés comme indicateurs des sites d’oviposition. Dans le cas de pentes abruptes, l’élévation spécifique se révélait indicatrice des sites préférés d’oviposition. L’espèce de plante et l’élévation étaient toutes deux indicatrices des endroits où l’humidité du sol était convenable pour les femelles prêtes à pondre. Les valeurs optimales de l’humidité du sol pour la ponte se situaient entre 55 et 69%.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 113 , Issue 1 , January 1981 , pp. 57 - 64
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brady, N. C. 1974. The nature and properties of soils. 8th ed. Macmillan, New York. 639 pp.Google Scholar
Breeland, S. G. and Pickard, E.. 1964. Insectary studies on longevity, blood-feeding and oviposition behavior of four floodwater mosquito species in the Tennessee Valley. Mosquito News 24: 186–192.Google Scholar
Campbell, R. C. 1974. Statistics for Biologists. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press. 385 pp.Google Scholar
Fehrenbacker, J. B., Walker, G. O., and Wascher, J. L.. 1967. Soils of Illinois. Ill. agric. Exp. Stn Bull. 725. 47 pp.Google Scholar
Filsinger, C. 1941. Distribution of Aedes vexans eggs. Proc. N. Jl Mosquito Exterm. Ass. 28: 12–19.Google Scholar
Hitchcock, A. S. 1971. Manual of the grasses of the United States. 2nd ed., revised by Chase, Agnes. Dover, New York. Vols. 1, 2.Google Scholar
Horsfall, W. R. 1956. A method for making a survey of floodwater mosquitoes. Mosquito News 16: 66–71.Google Scholar
Horsfall, W. R. 1963. Eggs of floodwater mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) IX. Local distribution. Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 56: 426–441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horsfall, W. R., Fowler, H. W., Moretti, L. J., and Larsen, J. R.. 1973. Bionomics and embryology of the inland floodwater mosquito, Aedes vexans. Univ. of Illinois Press, Urbana. 211 pp.Google Scholar
Horsfall, W. R., Novak, R. J., and Johnson, R. L.. 1975. Aedes vexans as a flood-plain mosquito. Environ. Ent. 4: 675–681.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacobs, H. S. and Reed, R. M. (Eds.). 1971. Soils laboratory exercise source book. Amer. Soc. Agron. 111 pp.Google Scholar
Jones, A. G. and Bell, D. T.. 1974. Vascular plants of the Sangamon River Basin: Annotated checklist and ecological summary. Ill. agric. Exp. Stn Bull. 746. 77 pp.Google Scholar
Lefkovitch, L. P. and Brust, R. A.. 1968. Locating the eggs of Aedes vexans (Mg.) (Diptera: Culicidae). Bull. ent. Res. 58: 119–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Novak, R. J. 1976. The influence of oviposition site on locality of the inland floodwater mosquito. Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana. 176 pp.Google Scholar
Pickett, S. T. A. and Bazzaz, F. A.. 1978. Organization of an assemblage of early successional species on a soil moisture gradient. Ecology 59: 1248–1255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Platt, W. J. 1975. The colonization and formation of equilibrium plant species associations on badger disturbance in tallgrass prairie. Ecol. Monogr. 45: 285–305.Google Scholar
Russo, R. J. 1977. Substrate moisture effects upon oviposition in Aedes vexans. Mosquito News 37: 712–717.Google Scholar
Strickman, D. A. 1978. Selection of oviposition sites by Aedes vexans (Meigen) and Aedes trivittatus (Coquillett) (Diptera: Culicidae). Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana. 110 pp.Google Scholar
Whittaker, R. H. 1967. Gradient analysis of vegetation. Biol. Rev. 42: 207–264.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed