Efficacy of mosquito attractants in various habitats of a floodplain

Abstract

Efficacy of different mosquito attractants was invesigated at four sites in three plant communities (Galio-Salicetum albae, Populetum nigro-albae, Genisto elatae-Quercetum roboris) of flooded and forest habitats in Kopacki rit Nature Park, Croatia. The attractants were: dry ice, horse urine, horse urine + acetone, acetone, 1-octen-3-ol and ammonium hydroxide baited CDC traps. A total of 11,441 mosquito specimens of 12 species were collected. Aedes vexans (91.43%) was the most numerous species. A statistically significant difference between the efficacy of dry ice and the other attractants was shown, whereas there was no difference between the other attractants. A greater number of specimens and species number were noted in the flooded plant communities (Populetum nigro-albae). The response of Ae. vexans to dry ice was higher in flooded sites, and it was significantly lower in forest habitat (Genisto elatae-Quercetum roboris) according to fuzzy c-means cluster analysis. The same analysis shows a higher efficacy of other attractants (horse urine, horse urine + acetone, acetone, octenol and ammonium hydroxide) in forest habitat when compared to the flooded area habitats.