Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-75dct Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-04T00:27:27.807Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The vertical distribution of some West African mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) over open farmland in a freshwater area of the Gambia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

M. T. Gillies  and
T. J. Wilkes
M. T. Gillies
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, England
T. J. Wilkes
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, England
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Mosquitoes flying at low levels over open farmland were sampled by means of electrical suction traps. These were set up at nine levels from ground level up to 6 m. From the vertical profiles obtained it was possible to recognise three patterns of behaviour: (1) a low-flying group with relatively very high densities below 1 m, comprising Mansonia (Man-sonioides) spp., Aedes spp. and some species of Anopheles; (2) an intermediate group with densities rather evenly distributed at the lower levels but declining above 2–4 m, comprising A. funestus Giles, A. gambiae Giles and Culex neavei Theo.; (3) a high-flying group with catches at 6 m greater, or much greater, than at 1 m, composed of C. antennatus (Becker), C. thalassius Theo. and C. poicilipes (Theo.). For all species, catches after 23.00 h showed an increase in the proportion of mosquitoes taken in traps at the lower levels, this being most marked at ground level and 0·5 m. No influence of either moonlight or wind speed could be detected to account for this. Biting catches on human baits showed a generally similar pattern to suction-trap catches, although differences between baits at 1-m intervals at the higher levels were less than with unbaited traps.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 66 , Issue 1 , March 1976 , pp. 5 - 15
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Geiger, R. (1965). The climate near the ground. 4th edn.—611 pp. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Gillies, M. T. & Wilkes, T. J. (1969). A comparison of the range of attraction of animal baits and of carbon dioxide for some West African mosquitoes.—Bull. ent. Res. 59, 441–456.Google Scholar
Hamon, J., Sales, S., Coz, J., Ouedraogo, C., Dyemkouma, A. & Diallo, B. (1964). Observations sur les préférences alimentaires des moustiques de la République de Haute-Volta.—Bull. Soc. Path. exot. 57, 1133–1150.Google Scholar
Haskell, P. T. (1966). Flight behaviour. In Haskell, P. T., Ed. Insect behaviour.—Symp. R. ent. Soc. Lond. No. 3, 29–45.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. G. (1969). Migration and dispersal of insects by flight.—763 pp. London, Methuen.Google Scholar
Jupp, P. G. (1971). The taxonomic status of Culex (Culex) univittatus Theobald (Diptera: Culicidae) in South Africa.—J. ent. Soc. sth. Afr. 34, 339–357.Google Scholar
Kennedy, J. S. (1940). The visual responses of flying mosquitoes.—Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. (A) 109, 221–242.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laarman, J. J. (1959). Host-seeking behaviour of malaria mosquitoes.—Int. Congr. Zool. 15, 648–649.Google Scholar
Service, M. W. (1971). Flight periodicities and vertical distribution of Aedes cantans (Mg.), Ae. geniculatus (OI.), Anopheles plumbeus Steph. and Culex pipiens L. (Dipt., Culicidae) in southern England.—Bull. ent. Res. 60, 639–651.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snow, W. F. (1975). The vertical distribution of flying mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) in West African savanna.—Bull. ent. Res. 65, 269–277.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, L. R. (1955). The standardization of air-flow in insect suction traps.—Ann. appl. Biol. 43, 390–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, L. R. (1958). Aphid dispersal and diurnal periodicity.—Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. 169, 67–73.Google Scholar
Taylor, L. R. (1974). Insect migration, flight periodicity and the boundary layer.—J. Anim. Ecol. 43, 225–238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar