Dispersal of Culex mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from a wastewater treatment facility.
A mark-recapture project examined dispersal and flight distances of Culex mosquitoes from a wastewater treatment plant in Albany, NY, during 2007 and 2008. A self-marking device was constructed to mark egressing mosquitoes with fluorescent marking powder. Mosquitoes were recaptured using 30 CDC miniature light traps located within a 2.0 km radius of the marking site. A total of 13 and 10 marked Culex mosquitoes were recaptured in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Culex mosquitoes traveled a minimum of 0.16 km, a maximum of 1.98 km and, following correction for decreasing trap density with distance, had a mean distance traveled of 1.33 km. Characterizing the dispersal patterns of these mosquitoes is important for understanding the distribution of West Nile virus and other pathogens.
The Arbovirus Laboratories, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, 5668 State Farm Road Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA.
Alexander T
AT
Ciota
Cori L
CL
Drummond
Meghan A
MA
Ruby
Jason
J
Drobnack
Gregory D
GD
Ebel
Laura D
LD
Kramer
D000818:Animals; D003465:Culex / Q000502:physiology*; D003710:Demography; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid