Influence of tree trunks on the spatial distribution of Toxorhynchites r. rutilus ovipositions in a coastal oak/palm hammock in Florida.
The number of Toxorhynchites r. rutilus eggs occurring in 20 ground-level oviposition traps was monitored daily for 14 days in an area of coastal oak/palm hammock forest in Florida. Ten of these ovitraps (modified 2-liter plastic soda bottles) were placed in contact with tree trunks, the others at least 2 m from the base of the nearest tree. There was no significant difference in the mean number of eggs observed in egg-positive ovitraps for either type of trap site. However, ovitraps abutting trees were egg-positive significantly more often than expected. This result is discussed in terms of the initial oviposition-site searching behavior of female Toxorhynchites.
Jordan
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Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Vero Beach 32962.
D000818:Animals; D009033:Culicidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004463:Ecology; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D010058:Oviposition; D014197:Trees