title: Attraction of Culex pipiens/restuans (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes to bird uropygial gland odors at two elevations in the Niagara region of Ontario.
abstract: In an effort to determine whether female Culex pipiens L. and Culex restuans Theobald mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are attracted to crow, Corvus brachyrhynchus, uropygial gland secretions, CDC miniature light traps (baited with CO2 but with the lights removed) were placed at approximately 1.5- and 5-m elevations, in 10 trees in awoodlot near Niagara Falls, Canada. These traps were assigned either a bird odor or a blank control. Bird odors were created by attaching cotton swabs coated with crow uropygial gland secretions to the trap intake. A significantly greater number of Cx. pipiens/ restuans were found in the 5-m traps compared with 1.5-m traps, with a significant number attracted to the bird odor over the no odor traps at the 5-m elevation, but not at 1.5 m. We also found more Aedes vexans (Meigen) in the 1.5-m traps than the 5-m traps; however, presence or absence of bird odor did not influence the distribution of Ae. vexans.
authors.affiliation: Brock University, 500 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada L2S 3A1.
authors.forename: Curtis B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Fiona F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Hunter
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D002170:Canada; D046368:Crows / Q000378:metabolism*; D003465:Culex / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D009812:Odorants; D010675:Pheromones; D011156:Population Density; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones; C010411:insect attractants