Influence of container type on larval mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) communities: significance of detritus, microorganisms, and habitat parameters

Although studies of container mosquitoes have focused on tree holes and automobile tires, few studies have compared mosquito communities between container types simultaneously; the factors important for differences between mosquito communities between container types are unknown. We sampled mosquitoes, microorganisms, and microorganism productivity in tree holes and discarded tires around Hattiesburg, MS during the summer of 2009 to determine if differences in environmental variables and mosquito communities existed between container types, and to understand the importance of environmental variables to mosquito communities. We sampled 12 containers at two tire and tree hole sites. For each container we enumerated mosquito larvae and measured several environmental parameters: canopy cover, total volume, and detritus (separated by type). MANOVA revealed that tree holes had significantly lower volumes but significantly higher cover and higher protozoan richness than tires; other parameters did not differ. Analysis of community dissimilarity between containers indicated strong differences, with tires principally comprised of Aedes albopictus, Anopholes crucians, Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. salinarius, and Cx. territans, whereas tree holes contained Ae. triseriatus, Orthopodomyia signifera, and Toxorhynchites rutilus. Based on linear regression, total mosquito abundance was associated positively with volume and canopy cover in tires whereas leaf detritus was positively related to mosquito species richness. Multiple regression indicated that the abundances of most tire species were affected by tire volume, where only Tx. rutilus was affected by any parameter (detritus type) in tree holes. Although we found that mosquito communities differ between tree holes and tires, the factors important for such differences remain unclear.