Ecology and management of mosquitoes

Abstract

Saltmarshes form at the dynamic interface between land and sea. This interface experiences fluxes in the biological, physical and chemical processes responsible for the density and abundance of species. As a result, saltmarshes provide important ecosystem services but also support the key habitat features necessary for breeding of some species of pestiferous and vector mosquitoes. In Australia, the most common species of mosquitoes that breed in saltmarsh habitats are Aedes vigilax Skuse in the warmer tropics and subtropics and Aedes camptorhynchus (Thomson) in the cooler areas. Aedes alternans (Westwood) occurs in both regions, but less commonly. All saltmarsh mosquitoes breed in the free water that pools in shallow depressions following tidal influence or as a result of freshwater inputs.