Spatial and temporal patterns in Arctic mosquito abundance
November 18, 2022
- Organisms that undergo a shift in ontogeny and habitat type often change their spatial distribution throughout their life cycle, but how this affects population dynamics remains poorly understood.
- We examined spatial and temporal patterns in Aedes nigripes abundance, a widespread univoltine Arctic mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae), hypothesizing that the spatial distribution of adults would be closely tied to aquatic habitat.
- We tracked adult densities of A. nigripes near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland using emergence traps, CO2-baited traps, and sweep-nets.
- In back-to-back years of sampling (2017 and 2018) we found two-fold variation in overall abundance.
- Adults were spatially patchy when first emerging from aquatic habitats but within a week, mean capture rates for host-seeking adult females were similar across locations, even in places far from larval habitat.
- Daily variation in mosquito captures was primarily explained by weather, with virtually no mosquito activity when temperatures averaged less than 8°C or wind speeds exceeded 6 m/s. Gravid females (3% of resting adults) were spatially patchy on the landscape, but not always in the same places where most adults emerged.
- The spatial distribution of adults is quickly uncoupled from the spatial distribution of larvae because A. nigripes females may disperse far from their natal habitats in search of a blood-meal and high-quality oviposition habitat.
- 8. This research highlights the value of studying ecological processes that act at disparate life stages for understanding the population biology of organisms with complex life cycles.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Title | Spatial and temporal patterns in Arctic mosquito abundance |
| DOI | 10.1111/een.13198 |
| Authors | Melissa H DeSiervo, Rebecca A Finger-Higgens, Matthew P. Ayres, Ross A Virginia, Lauren E Culler |
| Publication Type | Article |
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Series Title | Ecological Applications |
| Index ID | 70241182 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | Southwest Biological Science Center |