Journal of Vector Ecology (1996) 21, 159-166

Jan O. Lundström, Jan Chirico, Anders Folke and Christine Dahl (1996)
Vertical distribution of adult mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in southern and central Sweden
Journal of Vector Ecology 21 (2), 159-166
Abstract: The vertical distribution of adult mosquitoes was studied in southern (Norra Asum) and central Sweden (Tärnsjö) during August 1995, with an emphasis on the ornithophilic species Culiseta morsitans (Theobald), Culex pipiens L., and Culex torrentium Martini. A modified slingshot method was used to suspend Centers for Disease Control (CDC) miniature light traps, in combination with CO₂ as additional attractant, into the canopy of deciduous trees. Altogether 15,186 mosquitoes, including 93 Cs. morsitans and 182 Cx. pipiens/torrentium, were collected at various heights above ground during 43 trap-'nights. The numbers of Cs. morsitans and Cx. pipiens/torrentium per trap-night were not significantly influenced by height, but the number of total mosquitoes per trap-night decreased with increasing height. Significantly larger proportions (alpha<0.001, chi-square test) of both Cs: morsitans and Cx. pipiens/torrentium, to the total of other mosquitoes, were collected in the canopy than at chest height. The proportions of Cs. morsitans were 18% at 12 to 15.5 m and 2.2% at 1.5 m in Norm Asum, and 49% at 14 to 18 m and 0.6% at 1.5 m in Tärnsjö. The proportions of Cx. pipiens/torrentium were 36% at 12 to 15.5 m and 6.9% at 1.5 m in Norra Asum, and 5.1 % at 6 to 9 m and 0.2% at 1.5 m in Tärnsjö. Our method of suspending traps in the canopy and use of a simplified protocol to quickly distinguish the relevant species was efficient for placing the traps and for sampling adult females of the ornithophilic species Cx. pipiens/torrentium and Cs. morsitans in Sweden. We suggest that this procedure might also be of use to investigate these and other ornithophilic mosquitoes for bird-associated arboviruses in woodlands in the European region.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Jan O. Lundström

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution
environment - cropping system/rotation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Culex pipiens		Sweden
	Culiseta morsitans		Sweden
	Culex torrentium		Sweden