Ecological characterization of biotopes of mosquito larvae culicidae from the subarctic littoral of james bay quebec canada
Maire, A.; Mailhot, Y.; Aubin, A.
Canadian Entomologist 111(3): 251-272
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-347X
Accession: 005209892
Annual ice blocks erosion characterizes the James Bay coastline. Within the sampled area, the estuarine Rupert Bay shores are flooded by fresh or brackish tides and James Bay shores by saline water. Nineteen mosquito species [Culiseta (Culiseta) alaskaensis (Ludlow), C. (C.) impatiens (Walker), Aedes (Ochlerotatus) abserratus (Felt and Young) A. (O.) campestris Dyar and Knab, A. (O.) canadensis (Theobald), A. (O.) cantator (Coquillett), A. (O.) communis (De Geer), A. (O.) decticus Howard, Dyar and Knab, A. (O.) diantaeus Howard, Dyar and Knab, A. (O.) dorsalis (Meigen), A. (O.) excrocians (Walker), A. (O.) implicatus (Vockeroth), A. (O.) pionips Dyar, A. (O.) punctor (Kirby), A. (O.) riparius Dyar and Knab, A. (O.) atropalpus (Coquillett), A. (Aedes) cinereus Meigen, Culex (Culex) restuans Theobald and Culex (Neoculex) territans Walker] were found in typical larval associations, related to the vegetation of their temporary shallow water breeding sites. In the tidal zone, A. implicatus is characteristic of fresh or brackish water marshes, while A. cantator and A. dorsalis are dominant in the salt pitted marshes. In the supra-littoral zone A. punctor is characteristic of Salix candida and S. pellita unit; at the foot of the supra-littoral slope, A. communis and A. pionips characterize the S. planifolia unit. An ecological map of a section of Rupert Bay illustrates where typical littoral mosquito species are located. The ecological status of each mosquito species found in this area is also discussed, taking into account previous data from all subarctic continental zones.