title: Oviposition habitat selection by container-dwelling mosquitoes: responses to cues of larval and detritus abundances in the field.
abstract: Insects' oviposition responses to resource and larval densities can be important factors determining distributions and competitive interactions of larvae.Aedes albopictus(Skuse) andAedes aegypti(L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) show aggregated distributions of larvae in the field, larval interactions that are affected by detritus resources, and oviposition responses to resource and density cues in the laboratory. We conducted field experiments testing whether these species choose oviposition sites in response to chemical cues indicating detritus resource quantity and quality or larval abundances.In experiment 1, both species showed interactive responses to water conditioned with high or low quantities of senescent live oak leaves and density combinations ofA. albopictusandA. aegyptilarvae.Aedes aegyptipreferred high-detritus containers when conspecifics were absent.Aedes albopictustended to prefer high-detritus containers when larval density was low. We found no evidence of interspecific differences in oviposition preferences.In experiment 2,A. albopictuspreferred high detritus over low or no detritus, and rapidly-decaying, high-quality detritus over low-quality detritus.Oviposition choices by theseAedesare mainly determined by resource quantity and quality, with larval densities having minor, variable effects. Oviposition responses of these species are unlikely to lead to resource partitioning. Aggregated distributions of these species in the field are unlikely to be products of oviposition choices based on larval densities.
authors.affiliation: Campus Box 4120, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, Tel: (309) 438-2642.
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fader
authors.affiliation: Campus Box 4120, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, Tel: (309) 438-2642.
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Juliano
keywords: Aedes aegypti; Aedes albopictus; aggregation; larval density; oviposition choice; resource abundance; resource partitioning