Occurrence and Distribution of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of Public Health Importance on the Island of Oahu

Abstract

The Vector Control Branch of the Hawaii State Department of Health has accumulated a large volume of written inspection data on pests of public health for the island of Oahu. By far, the greatest amount of arthropod pest information available is on mosquitoes. The objectives of this study were to conduct a survey of the occurrence of mosquito complaints on Oahu over a 10-year period, determine the distribution of complaints over time, graphically compare mosquito occurrence within and between district/areas, and correlate mosquito occurrence and distribution with season. Mosquito data were drawn from inspection reports from 1990 to 1999, population information was obtained from Hawaii Census and State of Hawaii Data Books, 125 district/area geographic locations were defined, and mosquito occurrence and distribution were adjusted for population and mapped using ArcView GIS 3.2. Most of the mosquito activity was found within the central, south and east urban districts. Drier areas from Kalihi Kai to Portlock had the highest number of complaints, and the levels of mosquito activity were highest during the winter, spring and summer. The primary mosquito species recorded was Aedes albopictus (Skuse), the Asian tiger mosquito, and the main breeding sources were various containers, plus bromeliad plants. Aedes albopictus populations are being maintained in urban districts by human activities. As a result, dengue transmission is possible in the drier, urban areas of Oahu. These results indicate that educational programs should be carried out in late fall and early spring, and that residential mosquito surveys may be concentrated in a limited number of district/areas.