Journal of Medical Entomology (2020) 57, 443-453

Brendan J. Trewin, Daniel E. Pagendam, Myron P. Zalucki, Jonathan M. Darbro, Gregor J. Devine, Cassie C. Jansen and Nancy A. Schellhorn (2020)
Urban landscape features influence the movement and distribution of the Australian container-inhabiting mosquito vectors Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) and Aedes notoscriptus (Diptera: Culicidae)
Journal of Medical Entomology 57 (2), 443-453
Abstract: Urban landscape features play an important role in the distribution and population spread of mosquito vectors. Furthermore, current insecticide and novel rear-and-release strategies for urban mosquito management rarely consider the spatial structure of the landscape when applying control practices. Here, we undertake a mark-recapture experiment to examine how urban features influence the movement and distribution of Australian container-inhabiting Aedes vectors. We pay attention to the role of semipermanent water storage containers, called rainwater tanks, and the influence of movement barriers, such as roads, on the spread and distribution of vector populations. Results suggest that Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Culicidae) were more likely to be captured around rainwater tanks, and that released males travel throughout residential blocks but do not cross roads. Conversely, female Aedes notoscriptus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) movement was uninhibited by roads and rainwater tanks did not influence female distribution or oviposition behavior. Using an isotropic Gaussian kernel framework, we show that vector movement is likely to be greater when applying a temporal effect, than when estimated by traditional methods. We conclude that a greater understanding on the role of urban features on vector movement will be important in the new age of rear-and-release mosquito control strategies, particularly those where estimations of movement are important for ensuring efficacy of application.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Myron P. Zalucki, Gregor J. Devine, Nancy A. Schellhorn

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
population dynamics/ epidemiology

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Aedes notoscriptus
	Aedes aegypti