Influence of an Urban Heat Island on Mosquito Development and Survey of Biting Midge Species Associated with White-tailed Deer Farms
Abstract
Little is known about the landscape ecology of Aedes albopictus with regards to urban heat islands or the distribution of Culicoides midges on Oklahoma White-tailed deer farms. The hypotheses were that higher temperatures in urban heat islands would lead to accelerated larval development and reduced overall size of A. albopictus mosquitoes compared to their suburban and rural counterparts, and that Culicoides sonorensis would be the most commonly collected midge species associated with Oklahoma deer farms. Mosquitoes were placed into this landscape gradient in containers of our design and we employed two methodologies to collect midges: on-host sampling using a drop net and a CO2 baited suction trap. No zone based effects were detected on A. albopictus larval development but there were significant impacts on weight of males and females, wing length of males and females, days to pupation of females, and days to eclosion from density based effects. Days to pupation of females exhibited a weak zone*density effect. There was no significant difference in temperature between zones so we found that urban heat islands do not impact the larval development and growth of A. albopictus. Culicoides guttipennis was the most commonly collected midge in drop traps and suction traps leading to the rejection of the hypothesis. Midges commonly collected on these operations preferred to feed on cattle rather than White-tailed deer or sheep when offered free choice in a host preference study. Another study found that ultraviolet traps collected a wider range of species and a greater number of midges overall when compared to incandescent or traps without a light source. The mosquito study needs to be replicated over a longer period of time with greater competition pressure and more sites per zone to verify the validity of findings. The midge study requires spatiotemporal replicates as it was conducted over a single field season at one site and is thereby limited in scope. These studies may lay the foundation for future research efforts in these areas by other graduate students and further expand the limited knowledge of these important pests of medical veterinary entomology.
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- OSU Theses [15752]