Diapause influenced oviposition behavior and physical egg hatch cues of Aedes atropalpus (Diptera: Culicidae): traits that may influence successful colonization of riverine rock pools.

Mosquitoes have developed specialized oviposition strategies that allow them to develop in a wide variety of aquatic habitats. Environmentally cued hatching traits may also play an important role in the successful colonization of some larval habitats, but this subject has remained largely unexplored in Culicidae. Aedes atropalpus (Coquillett) is an autogenous rock pool specialist that may maintain unique adaptations for oviposition and egg hatching.

Size of Openings in Water-Holding Containers: Impact on Oviposition by Mosquitoes.

To assess how a grate covering a catch basin impacts oviposition by mosquitoes, a field study was conducted in south Florida using containers with two types of covers, with openings of equal area, but different configurations. One opening mimicked a catch basin grate with 16 small openings, while the other cover had just one large opening. The number and presence of egg rafts in six of each container and cover combination was recorded over 18 nights at two field sites, consisting of a wastewater management facility area and residential subdivision.

Aquatic thermal conditions predict the presence of native and invasive rock pool Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the southern Appalachians, U.S.A.

The native rock pool mosquito, Aedes atropalpus (Coquillett), and the invasive Aedes japonicus (Theobald) have been found in many types of artificial and natural containers throughout North America. Little is known about the ecology of these two species in habitats where they co-occur, although multiple investigators have reported the decline of the native species concurrent with the introduction and spread of the invasive species. Here we report the results of riverine rock pool collections (n=503) in the southern Appalachian Mountains between 2009-2015.