D3077: Effect of nutrient concentration and water volume on oviposition choice by Culex female mosquitoes

Mosquito control has become increasingly important since members of Culicidae are vectors of many infectious diseases. Culex mosquitoes are of particular concern since they are the primary carriers of West Nile virus, the most commonly transmitted mosquito-borne disease in the United States. Culex females lay egg rafts on the surface of the water in container habitats. Numerous factors determine where Culex females chose to lay their egg rafts, including the amount of water and available nutrients in the container habitat. The purpose of this experiment is to determine how nutrient concentration and water volume affect female Culex mosquito oviposition choice. In this study, two semi-controlled field assays were conducted at the Northern Kentucky University Research and Education Field Station in Melbourne, KY. For the first assay, the water volume was held constant (12 liters) across the three containers, while the nutrient level was varied (low, medium, and high) at five sites. For the second assay, the nutrient concentration was held constant across the three containers, while the water volume was varied (6, 12, and 18 liters) at five additional sites. For twelve weeks, egg rafts are being collected daily and identified to species. We will use a generalized linear mixed-effects model (GLMER) to determine the fixed effect of nutrient concentration and water volume on oviposition rates. Preliminary data suggest that female Culex show a stronger preference for high nutrient concentration as opposed to water volume. Understanding oviposition choice provides deeper insight into the control of Culex mosquitoes.