Abstract
The pool of microbiota associated with mosquito breeding habitats varies with the habitat type and its characteristic features. The pool of microbiota in a given mosquito breeding habitat can include free living, symbiotic, noncompetitive, parasitic, predatory, and toxin producing species. However, in Sri Lanka the studies on the microbiota associated with mosquito breeding habitats are scarce. The present study was conducted to identify microbiota species/taxa associated with a variety of mosquito breeding habitats in selected areas of the Kurunegala district in Sri Lanka to determine the relationship, if any, the microbiota has with mosquito larvae breeding. A total of 44 microbiota species/taxa belonging to 10 phyla, namely, Bacillariophyta, Charophyta, Chlorophyta, Cyanobacteria/Cyanophyta, Ochrophyta/Heterokontophyta, Amoebozoa, Euglenozoa, Ciliophora, Arthropoda, and Rotifera were identified. Vorticella microstoma (Ciliophora) showed a constant occurrence frequency in rice field habitats occupied mainly by Culex tritaeniorhynchus while the rest of the species had an accidental or rare frequency of occurrence. Nineteen species/taxa were identified as common species. Trophont stages of Vorticella microstoma and Zoothamnium spp. were found attached to the cuticle of mosquito larvae but only V. microstoma caused a lethal effect. The autotrophic protist, Euglena geniculate, Closterium spp., and Pinnularia spp. served as the diet items to mosquito larvae. The majority of the microbiota identified had no observable effect on mosquito larvae breeding.
Highlights
Mosquito borne diseases are among the major health problems in almost all tropical and subtropical countries including Sri Lanka [1]
Eight permanent macrotype mosquito breeding habitats, that is, rice fields, irrigation canals, blocked drainages, marshy lands, ponds, reservoirs, tank margins, and stagnant water bodies and eight temporary microtype mosquito breeding habitats, that is, tree holes, plastic containers, burrow pits, metal containers, discarded tyres, leaf litter, clay pots, and ornamentals were found across the study area (Table 2; Figures 2(a)–2(h))
Mansonia uniformis were sporadic in distribution (0–20%) and reported only from burrow pits, tank margins, and the rice fields, respectively
Summary
Mosquito borne diseases are among the major health problems in almost all tropical and subtropical countries including Sri Lanka [1]. Gunathilaka [2] updated the existing mosquito catalogue prepared by Amerasinghe [3] to include 159 mosquito species under 19 genera in Sri Lanka of which about ten species recorded to serve as main vectors of human diseases. The presence of competitors and predators in a mosquito larval habitat may reduce larval survival due to sharing and competing for the same food source or preying on mosquito larvae, respectively [9, 10]. There are at least 200 species of phytoplanktons associated with mosquito breeding habitats and larval instars extensively feed upon them [12, 13]. Species such as Kirchneriella, Scenedesmus, Coelastrum, Selenastrum, BioMed Research International
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