ORIGINAL ARTICLE STUDY OF OVIPOSITION BEHAVIOR OF Aedes aegypti IN TWO NEIGHBORHOODS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SEMI-ARID CLIMATE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF SALINAS, STATE OF MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL

Abstract

The mosquito Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) is the main vector of human arborvirus in Brazil.Oviposition behavior is important for the survival and dispersal of A. aegypti. The objective of this studywas to evaluate the oviposition behavior and its relationship to meteorological factors. Twenty ovitrapswere installed in two neighborhoods in the urban area of the city of Salinas, MG, southeastern Brazil.The traps were inspected weekly for the presence of eggs in the water and on the paddle. Simultaneously,regional weather data were analyzed. The results showed the Ovitrap Positivity Index (OPI) variedgreatly, from 0 to 90%, between the weeks and boroughs sampled, demonstrating the vector’s greatpopulation fluctuation. Among the analyzed climatic factors, rainfall strongly influenced oviposition,followed by relative air humidity. The number of eggs found on the paddle was significantly higher thanin the water (p<0.05). However, a significant increase of eggs in the water was noticed when the relativehumidity dropped below 40%. This seems to be an important behavior to maintain the population inperiods of drought. Through the low number of eggs (<30) found in 56% of positive traps, we concludedthat skip-oviposition behavior occurred, contributing to the prevalence of mosquitoes during thesampled period. It is concluded that the occurrence of water oviposition may be higher than described inthe literature, and should be studied due to its evolutionary and epidemiological importance.