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Culex pipiens (Culicidae) is attracted to humans in southern Ontario, but will it serve as a bridge vector of West Nile virus?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2012

Curtis Russell  and
Fiona F. Hunter
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Abstract

We tested whether the known bird-biting mosquito, Culex pipiens Linnaeus (Diptera: Culicidae), is attracted to human hosts by placing humans at ground level (∼1.5 m) or in the forest canopy (∼5 m) in a Niagara woodlot. Modified Centers for Disease Control (CDC) miniature light traps (no light, no CO2) were placed next to the human hosts to capture the attracted mosquitoes. The human-baited traps were compared with control traps (standard CDC miniature light traps with CO2, but no light). As expected from previous research, there were more C. pipiens captured at the higher elevation than at ground level. Generally, they were attracted to control traps more than to human-baited traps at 5 m, whereas at 1.5 m there was no difference between the two trap types. As a comparison, most Aedes vexans (Meigen) mosquitoes were captured at the 1.5 m elevation but there were significantly more captured in the control traps than the human-baited traps during all periods. Because C. pipiens is attracted to humans throughout the entire season at the 1.5 m height (where they might encounter humans), it is likely that C. pipiens can serve as a bridge vector of West Nile virus (WNV).

Résumé

Nous avons vérifié si le moustique piqueur d'oiseaux bien connu, Culex pipiens Linnaeus (Diptera: Culicidae), est attiré par les hôtes humains au niveau du sol (∼1,5 m) et au niveau de la canopée (∼5 m) dans une terre boisée de Niagara. Nous avons placé des pièges lumineux miniatures de type CDC (Centres de contrôle des maladies), sans lumière, ni CO2, près des hôtes humains pour capturer les moustiques attirés. Les pièges avec appâts humains ont été comparés à des pièges témoins (des pièges miniatures CDC standard avec CO2, mais sans lumière). Tel que le laissaient prévoir les recherches antérieures, il y a plus de C. pipiens au point plus élevé qu'au niveau du sol. Généralement, ils sont plus attirés par les pièges témoins que par les pièges avec appât humain à 5 m, alors qu’à 1,5 m il n'y a pas de différence entre les deux types de pièges. Par comparaison, la plupart des moustiques Aedes vexans (Meigen) ont été capturés à la hauteur de 1,5 m, mais il y avait significativement plus de captures dans les pièges témoins que dans les pièges avec appât humain durant toutes les périodes. Parce que C. pipiens est attiré par les humains durant toute la saison à la hauteur de 1,5 m (là où il risque de rencontrer des humains), il est vraisemblable que C. pipiens puisse servir de vecteur-pont pour le virus du Nil occidental (WNV).

Type
Original Article
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 144 , Issue 5 , October 2012 , pp. 667 - 671
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2012

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