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Urbanization Determines the Abundance of Disease Vector Mosquitoes in Moorea, French Polynesia

2020; Volume: 24; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.5070/bs3242049348

2373-8146

Jason Mark B. Soriano,

Zoonotic diseases and public health

Urbanization determines the abundance of disease vector mosquitoes in Moorea, French Polynesia pansion-the most common form of land-use change-the doubling of urbanization in urban areas since 1992 and the expansion of infrastructure are major contributors to the decline of biodiversity worldwide. 7These changes continue to impact the global ecosystem as the human population continues to grow, so it is essential to understand how different community assemblages react following these disturbances.While the effect of habitat modifications on local ecosystems and community assemblages of disease vectors has been studied, there remains a lack of understanding of these effects specifically on remote oceanic islands. 6Previous studies on isolated island systems have analyzed larval mosquito distributions, interspecific competition, and the container types that are preferred oviposition sites for gravid females. 8,9,10However, little is known about how urban modification on islands affects the community structure of mosquitoes.This is especially important considering the rate at which human populations are growing in certain island communities.For instance, in the Commune of Moorea-Maiao, French Polynesia, the population experienced a 13% growth rate from 2002 to 2007, according to the French Polynesia Statistical Institute (2007).The island of Moorea, French Polynesia is home to nine species of mosquitoes, including Toxorhynchites amboinensis, a species introduced in 1975 as a biocontrol agent against Aedes mosquitoes. 8,11Two of the nine species are more recent introductions and breed in artificial containers: Aedes aegypti, which is the primary disease vector of Dengue virus, and Culex quinquefasciatus, which is a significant vector of West Nile Virus in other parts of the world. 10,11Aedes polynesiensis, which was most likely introduced