Citation:

Myer, M., C. Fizer, K. McPherson, A. Neale, A. Pilant, A. Rodriguez, P. Whung, AND J. Johnston. Mapping Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) and Aedes albopictus Vector Mosquito Distribution in Brownsville, TX. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY. Entomological Society of America, Lantham, MD, 57(1):231–240, (2020). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjz132

Impact/Purpose:

We used vector surveillance data to model and map Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus distri-bution in Brownsville, Texas, and found that the two species coexist with peak populations in different parts of the year and in different areas of the city based on differences in habitat and weather preferences.

Description:

Aedes mosquitoes are vectors of several emerging diseases and are spreading worldwide. We investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquito trap captures in Brownsville, Texas using high-resolution land cover, sociological, and meteoro-logical data. We modeled mosquito trap counts using a Bayesian hierarchical mixed effects model with spatially correlated residuals. The models indicated an inverse relationship between temperature and mosquito trap counts for both species, which may be due to the hot and arid climate of southern Texas. The temporal trend in mosquito populations indicated Ae. aegypti populations peaking in the late spring and Ae. albopictus reaching a maximum in winter. Our results indicated that seasonal weather variation, vegetation height, human population, and land cover determine which of the two Aedes species will predominate.

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