Population dynamics of pest mosquitoes and potential malaria and West Nile virus vectors in relation to climatic factors and human activities in the Camargue, France

• Published in: Medical and veterinary entomology Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 350 - 357
• Main Authors: PONÇON, N., TOTY, C., L'AMBERT, G., LE GOFF, G., BRENGUES, C., SCHAFFNER, F., FONTENILLE, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-12-2007; Wiley
• Subjects: Aedes caspius; Animals; Anopheles hyrcanus; Culex modestus; Culex pipiens; Culicidae - parasitology; Culicidae - physiology; Culicidae - virology; France; France - epidemiology; Humans; Insect Vectors - parasitology; Insect Vectors - physiology; Insect Vectors - virology; irrigation; Life Sciences; Malaria - epidemiology; Malaria - transmission; Mosquito Control - methods; Population Density; Population Dynamics; Public Health; Rain; Seasons; Species Specificity; Temperature; Time Factors; West Nile Fever - epidemiology; West Nile Fever - transmission; France; Anopheles hyrcanus; irrigation; Culex modestus; Culex pipiens; France; population dynamics; Aedes caspius
• ISSN: 0269-283X; 1365-2915
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2007.00701.x

The Camargue is an extensive wetland in the southeast of France, which is highly influenced by human activities. Large ponds, marshes and irrigated fields provide abundant potential breeding sites for mosquitoes. mosquitoes, which are important in terms of the nuisance they cause to people and animals, the limitations they impose on tourism and their potential threat to human health. Several of the mosquito species present are potential vectors of malaria and West Nile virus. Therefore, the population dynamics of these species were monitored over an entire breeding season during March–October 2005. Mosquito populations were sampled in two study areas once every 2 weeks, using CDC light traps baited with CO2. Sixteen species were collected. The majority (98.7%) of the catch were Aedes caspius (Pallas) (Diptera: Culicidae), Culex modestus (Ficalbi), Culex pipiens L. and Anopheles hyrcanus (Pallas). The population dynamics of these species varied considerably in relation to the species’ biology, climatic conditions (rainfall, temperature and season), water management, implementation of mosquito control campaigns and landscape use.