A Survey of the Relative Abundance of Mosquitoes in Their Preferred Breeding Micro-habitats in Refuse Dumps in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Studies on the abundance and preferred breeding sites of mosquitoes in different larval micro-habitats of refuse disposal dumps in Owerri were carried out between April and December 2016. Mosquito larvae were collected twice a week using standard dipping method and reared to adult stage. Two thousand, nine hundred and eighty seven adult mosquitoes were harvested. They were identified morpho-metrically into different species using binocular stereomicroscopes and taxonomic identification keys. Eight species of mosquitoes were identified: Aedes aegypti (28%), Aedes albopictus (18.1%), Anopheles species (4.0%), Culex trigripes (16.0%), Culex quinquefasciatus (19.9%), Culex vittatus (5.3%), Eretampodite spp (4.8%) and Toxorhynchites spp (3.7%). The findings showed that blocked gutters, empty cans and ground pools favoured the breeding of mosquitoes. Highest abundance of mosquitoes in the study sites were recorded in Relief Market and Concord Area. The presence of mosquitoes in the refuse dump sites was observed throughout the year. This suggests why mosquito borne diseases like malaria are prevalent in the study area throughout the year. The implication of the findings and recommendations for implementation of proper and regular disposal of refuse are discussed.