ORCID

0000-0001-8340-3363

Keywords

Mosquito Control, Ecology, Nontarget, Distribution modeling

Abstract

Since its inception, mosquito control has been vital for limiting the spread of vector-borne pathogens. Modern control efforts balance the protection of public health and the prevention of environmental harm. We addressed this from two directions: the study of mosquito adulticide effects on nontarget insects, and fine scale distribution modeling of mosquitoes to better target control efforts. We first investigated the effects of ultra-low volume (ULV) pyrethroid applications on nontarget insects in Central Florida and found no statistically clear evidence of reduction in abundance or diversity. We reported a slight and statistically unclear reduction of night-flying Lepidoptera, and effective reduction of mosquitoes in complex treatment zones. Second, we examined impacts of both ground and aerial ULV treatments on wild bees. We found no clear acute or legacy effects of adulticide treatments on overall bee abundance or diversity and strong reduction of mosquitoes. However, we observed reduced abundance of leafcutter bees (Megachile) with repeated treatments. Results reported here come from robust, multi-year field studies and are broadly applicable to modern vector management programs. We present a comprehensive picture of the specific risks and relative safety of mosquito adulticides. The third study used joint species distribution models to gain insight into environmental patterns and associations of 25 mosquito species in two Southwest Florida counties. Data represented 12 years of mosquito surveillance across 249 sites. The model of mosquito occurrence performed well but was heavily reliant on random spatial effects. The model of abundance performed similarly, with greater explanatory power of land cover and climate. Species richness decreased with urban development, and hotspots corresponded to natural lands. We provided detailed insights for six focal species and showed distinct niches observable at the local scale. Model predictions provided detailed recommendations for mosquito control programs to better target interventions in a growing metropolitan area.

Completion Date

2025

Semester

Summer

Committee Chair

Jenkins, David G.

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Biology

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029550

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Download

Share

COinS