BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES The study was undertaken to characterize factors influencing differential productivity of Anopheles gambiae complex mosquitoes at larval habitats in a rural village in western Kenya. METHODS Longitudinal larval sampling was done using an area sampler for 3 months. Emerged adults were identified to species level morphologically using taxonomic keys and to sub-species by...

In many marine animals, adult habitat is selected by lecithotrophic (non-feeding) larvae with a limited lifespan. In generalist species, larvae may increasingly accept sub-optimal habitat over time as energy stores are depleted ('desperate larva' hypothesis). If the fitness cost of suboptimal habitat is too high, larvae of specialists may prolong the searching phase until they encounter a high-...

The aims of this study were to characterise the ground-level larval habitats of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus, to determine the relationships between habitat characteristics and larval abundance and to examine seasonal larval-stage variations in Córdoba city. Every two weeks for two years, 15 larval habitats (natural and artificial water bodies, including shallow wells, drains, retention ...

Reef-building species form discrete patches atop soft sediments, and reef restoration often involves depositing solid material as a substrate for larval settlement and growth. There have been few theoretical efforts to optimize the physical characteristics of a restored reef patch to achieve high recruitment rates. The delivery of competent larvae to a reef patch is influenced by larval behavio...

Habitat fragmentation has been suggested to be responsible for major genetic differentiations in a range of marine organisms. In this study, we combined genetic data and environmental information to unravel the relative role of geography and habitat heterogeneity on patterns of genetic population structure of corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops), a rocky shore species at the northern limit of its...

In the past, Aedes atropalpus was limited to those areas of the eastern U.S. and Canada that had rivers or shorelines with large rocks containing rock pools. In the last 10 years, many new records of larval breeding in scrap tires have accumulated. We present records of larval breeding in non-rock pool containers for 54 counties; most are far from the original range. The species has not only fo...

background: regarding to the significant of the possibility of the malaria epidemic and nuisance of mosquitoes dur­ing the active season, the fauna and some ecological activities of mosquitoes in related to tree holes were investi­gated from april to december 2009 in neka county of mazandaran province, northern iran. methods: larval collection was carried out from natural, artificial breeding p...

Eutrophication is a large problem in many marine and brackish-water areas. One of the consequences is algae-induced turbidity affecting visually feeding organisms, and behavioural changes of fish and other animals are common in turbid water. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of larval pike Esox lucius in turbid and clear water. We experimentally studied habitat choice, prey a...