Mosquito diversity in stormwater ponds and constructed wetlands

Stormwater control measures (SCMs) are necessary to mitigate the negative impacts of stormwater runoff on rivers and lakes; however, many of these structures incorporate permanent pools of water that are viable breeding habitats for mosquitoes. SCMs have been shown to harbor human and veterinary disease vectors, nuisance species, and innocuous mosquito species. However, it remains unclear which characteristics of SCMs affect the diversity of mosquitoes found in these sites. The goal of this project was to assess the mosquito abundance and diversity found in three different types of SCMs (retention ponds, detention ponds, and constructed wetlands) in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area. During summer 2020 and 2021, larval mosquito samples and water quality measurements (pH, temperature, conductivity, and turbidity) were taken biweekly from ten of each type of SCM around Columbus. All larval instars were identified to species, when possible, by morphological characteristics and mosquito diversity was assessed for each site and SCM type. Preliminary samples were dominated by innocuous species (e.g. Culex territans); however, both nuisance pest species (e.g. Anopheles spp.) and human disease vectors (e.g. Aedes vexans and Culex pipiens) were also found commonly in these samples. While each SCM type supported similar species, preliminary data analysis suggests more wetland locations support disease vectors (e.g. Aedes vexans) and these species have higher populations in these sites. Results from this project will highlight which characteristics of these structures are correlated with lower mosquito populations, and therefore, help civil engineers design SCMs that minimize the mosquito burden caused by SCMs.