Abstract
BackgroundInteraction of microinvertebrates with mosquito in freshwater ecosystem ultimately provides the mosquito larvae with diverse resources to prey on and serves as competitors or predators. The trophic ecology and productivity of mosquito larvae in rock pool habitats are paramount to modelling and predicting adult mosquito abundance and ultimately limit their disease spread.ResultsFine mesh plankton net and soup ladle dipper were used to obtain microinvertebrates and preimaginal mosquitoes respectively in 368 rock pools on inselbergs in 21 settlements within Kaduna State, Nigeria. A total of 31,726 mosquito larvae bred in 269 rock pools coinhabited with microinvertebrates. Diluted ethanol (70%) and formaldehyde (4%) were used to preserve mosquito and microinvertebrate specimens, respectively. Specimens of mosquito larvae and microinvertebrates were identified using standard keys. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to establish the relationship between abundances of mosquitoes and microinvertebrates. Thirty species of microinvertebrates coinhabited with six species of mosquito (Aedes vittatus, Anopheles gambiae s.l., Culex macfiei, Cx. perfidiosus, Cx. pipiens pipiens, and Cx. simpsoni). The microinvertabrates included the protozoans: Paramecium caudatum (Parameciidae) and Pleurotricha sp. (Oxytrichidae); Chlamydomonas reinhardtii; the rotifers: Brachionus plicatilis (Brachionidae) and Philodina sp. (Philodinidae); the sponge (Porifera): Heteromeyenia tenosperma (Spongillidae); the crustaceans: Ephemeroporous barroisi (Chydoridae), Bosmina longirostris (Bosminidae), Daphnia pulex (Daphniidae), Diaphanosoma birgei (Sididae), Diaphanosoma brachyurum, Laptonopsis occidentalis, Macrothrix pulex (Macrothricidae), Macrothrix rosea, Moinodaphnia macleayi (Moinidae), Moina macrocopa (Moinidae), Sida crystallina (Sididae), Bradleystrandesia reticulata (Cyprididae), Candona intermedia (Candonidae), Candona parallela, Cypria obesa (Cyprididae), Heterocyp.ris incongruens (Cyprididae), Potamocypris hyboforma (Cyprididae), Cyclops sp. (Cyclopidae), and Macrocyclops sp. (Cyclopidae); and the nematodes: Alaimus sp. (Alaimidae), Diplogaster sp. (Diplogasteridae), Monhystera sp. (Monhysteridae), and Rhabdolaimus sp. (Rhabdolaimidae). Mosquitoes relative abundance correlated negatively but significantly (P < 0.05) with those of the microinvertebrates. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows that the abundance of mosquito larvae significantly differed with pH of the rock pools (P < 0.05). Highly significant difference existed with the abundance of mosquito larvae to total dissolved solid, electrical conductivity, and alkalinity of the rock pools (P < 0.001).ConclusionsThese microinvertebrates constituted mosquito food organisms and/or natural antagonists as competitors for food, intraguild, or strict predators that would have influenced mosquito organization in a complex feeding web in the communities.
Highlights
Interaction of microinvertebrates with mosquito in freshwater ecosystem provides the mosquito larvae with diverse resources to prey on and serves as competitors or predators
Ecological studies into the diversity of microinvertebrate fauna coinhabiting mosquitoes habitats were conducted in 368 rock pools on inselbergs in 21 settlements within Kaduna State
Rock pools were found to habour 30 different species of microinvertebrates coinhabited with the three main genera (Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex) of mosquito larvae predominated by cladocerans (Table 2)
Summary
Interaction of microinvertebrates with mosquito in freshwater ecosystem provides the mosquito larvae with diverse resources to prey on and serves as competitors or predators. 40% of mosquito species develop in small natural or artificial habitats that are periodically filled with rainwater or plant exudates (Kaufman, Goodfriend, Kohler-Garrigan, Walker, & Klug, 2002) Their reproduction can be successful only if larval habitats remain stable for a duration equivalent to the development of immature stages (Pialoux, Gaüzère, Jauréguiberry, & Strobel, 2007). The choice for suitable places for female mosquitoes to lay eggs is a key factor for the survival of immature stages, and this oviposition site selection has been recognized as critical both for the survival and population dynamics of mosquitoes It is influenced by several environmental factors including the salinity and turbidity of the water, the size and degree of permanence of the water body, the amount of sunlight, the presence of emergent/floating vegetation and shade, the presence of predators, and the distance to human habitation (Pialoux et al, 2007; Yee et al, 2004)
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