title: Mosquito Communities and Avian Malaria Prevalence in Silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) Within Forest Edge and Interior Habitats in a New Zealand Regional Park.
abstract: Forest fragmentation and agricultural development are important anthropogenic landscape alterations affecting the disease dynamics of malarial parasites (Plasmodium spp.), largely through their effects on vector communities. We compared vector abundance and species composition at two forest edge sites abutting pastureland and two forest interior sites in New Zealand, while simultaneously assessing avian malaria prevalence in silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis). Twenty-two of 240 (9.2%) individual silvereyes captured across all sites tested positive for avian malaria, and Plasmodium prevalence was nearly identical in edge and interior habitats. A total of 580 mosquito specimens were trapped across all sites. These comprised five different species: the introduced Aedes notoscriptus and Culex quinquefasciatus; the native A. antipodeus, C. asteliae and C. pervigilans. The known avian malaria vector C. quinquefasciatus was only recorded in the forest edge (mostly at ground level). In contrast, the probable vector C. pervigilans was abundant and widespread in both edge and interior sites. Although frequently caught in ground traps, more C. pervigilans specimens were captured in the canopy. This study shows that avian malaria prevalence among silvereyes appeared to be unaffected by forest fragmentation, at least at the scale assessed. Introduced mosquito species were almost completely absent from the forest interior, and thus our study provides further circumstantial evidence that native mosquito species (in particular C. pervigilans) play an important role in avian malaria transmission in New Zealand.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.|Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gudex-Cross
authors.affiliation: Institute of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.|School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Rosemary K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Barraclough
authors.affiliation: Institute of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Dianne H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Brunton
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand. j.derraik@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: José G B
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Derraik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009033:Culicidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D065928:Forests; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D008289:Malaria, Avian / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009520:New Zealand; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000382:microbiology*; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: Culicidae; Plasmodium; canopy; forest; habitat fragmentation; height; prevalence