title: Intra-annual changes in abundance of Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti and Aedes (Ochlerotatus) epactius (Diptera: Culicidae) in high-elevation communities in Mexico.
abstract: We examined temporal changes in the abundance of the mosquitoes Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (L.) and Aedes (Ochlerotatus) epactius Dyar & Knab from June to October 2012 in one reference community at lower elevation (Rio Blanco; approximately 1,270 m) and three high-elevation communities (Acultzingo, Maltrata, and Puebla City; 1,670-2,150 m) in Veracruz and Puebla States, México. The combination of surveys for pupae in water-filled containers and trapping of adults, using BG-Sentinel traps baited with the BG-Lure, corroborated previous data from 2011 showing that Ae. aegypti is present at low abundance up to 2,150 m in this part of México. Data for Ae. aegypti adults captured through repeated trapping in fixed sites in Acultzingo--the highest elevation community (approximately 1,670 m) from which the temporal intra-annual abundance pattern for Ae. aegypti has been described--showed a gradual increase from low numbers in June to a peak occurrence in late August, and thereafter declining numbers in September. Ae. epactius adults were collected repeatedly in BG-Sentinel traps in all four study communities; this is the first recorded collection of this species with a trap aiming specifically to collect human-biting mosquitoes. We also present the first description of the temporal abundance pattern for Ae. epactius across an elevation gradient: peak abundance was reached in mid-July in the lowest elevation community (Rio Blanco) but not until mid-September in the highest elevation one (Puebla City). Finally, we present data for meteorological conditions (mean temperature and rainfall) in the examined communities during the study period, and for a cumulative measure of the abundance of adults over the full sampling period.
authors.forename: Saul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lozano-Fuentes
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Welsh-Rodriguez
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Monaghan
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Steinhoff
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ochoa-Martinez
authors.forename: Berenice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tapia-Santos
authors.forename: Mary H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hayden
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eisen
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes; D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D008800:Mexico; D044969:Ochlerotatus; D011156:Population Density; D011679:Pupa; D012621:Seasons; D014887:Weather