THE EFFECT OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SWINE WASTE LAGOON HABITATS ON CULEX PIPIENS PIPIENS
Abstract
The breeding potential of Culex pipiens pipiens Linnaeus was evaluated in swine waste lagoons of varied organic pollution levels in the presence or absence of peripheral and emergent vegetation cover from June to October in 1979 and 1980. Egg rafts were collected three times a week from oviposition traps set in vegetation covered and removed parts of swine lagoons. Larval and pupal mosquito samples were taken weekly at fixed locations around the swine waste lagoons. Water temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen readings and wastewater samples were also taken at the same time the ponds were sampled for mosquitoes. The wastewater samples were analyzed for total, fixed and volatile solids, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate and nitrite components of nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, specific conductivity and mineral analyses (sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus). High population levels of C. p. pipiens were breeding in 55% of the sampled swine waste lagoons. Water temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen levels were not found to limit the breeding of mosquitoes and could not account for the selective use of swine waste lagoons as mosquito breeding habitats. The mosquitoes avoided lightly polluted (COD = 168 to 434 mg/l) and highly polluted (COD = 1558 to 6080 mg/l) swine waste lagoons and were breeding in ponds of intermediate pollution levels (COD = 502 to 1354 mg/l) regardless of the presence or absence of vegetation cover. A higher number of egg rafts, and larval and pupal mosquitoes were collected in vegetation covered parts of swine waste lagoons than in vegetation cleared areas. Vegetation cover does not determine oviposition or breeding site selection, but its presence in suitable breeding sites results in increased oviposition and intensive breeding. The presence or absence of mosquitoes in swine waste lagoons was related to the chemical characteristics of the lagoons as mean larval and pupal numbers were observed to change in response to the increase or decrease of organic matter concentration levels.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Entomology
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