How to translate text using browser tools
1 May 2015 High Resolution Spatial Analysis of Habitat Preference of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in an Urban Environment
Daniela Cianci, Nienke Hartemink, Caroline B Zeimes, Sophie O Vanwambeke, Annamaria Ienco, Beniamino Caputo
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Over the past decades, the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1895)) has emerged in many countries, and it has colonized new environments, including urban areas. The species is a nuisance and a potential vector of several human pathogens, and a better understanding of the habitat preferences of the species is needed for help in successful prevention and control. So far, the habitat preference in urban environments has not been studied in Southern European cities. In this paper, spatial statistical models were used to evaluate the relationship between egg abundances and land cover types on the campus of Sapienza University in Rome, which is taken as an example of a European urban habitat. Predictor variables included land cover types, classified in detail on a high resolution image, as well as solar radiation and month of capture. The models account for repeated measures in the same trap and are adjusted for meteorological circumstances. Vegetation and solar radiation were found to be positively related to the number of eggs. More specifically, trees were positively related to the number of eggs and the relationship with grass was negative. These findings are consistent with the species' known preference for shaded areas. The unexpected positive relationship with solar radiation is amply discussed in the paper. This study represents a first step toward a better understanding of the spatial distribution of Ae. albopictus in urban environments.

© The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
Daniela Cianci, Nienke Hartemink, Caroline B Zeimes, Sophie O Vanwambeke, Annamaria Ienco, and Beniamino Caputo "High Resolution Spatial Analysis of Habitat Preference of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in an Urban Environment," Journal of Medical Entomology 52(3), 329-335, (1 May 2015). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjv026
Received: 16 June 2014; Accepted: 11 February 2015; Published: 1 May 2015
JOURNAL ARTICLE
7 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
Asian tiger mosquito
ovitrap
spatial analysis
urban habitat preference
vector-borne disease
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top