Ecological characterization of Aedes aegypti larval habitats (Diptera: Culicidae) in artificial water containers in Girardot, Colombia.

The establishment of habitats for immature Ae. aegypti is regulated by biotic and abiotic factors and interactions between these factors. This study aimed to determine the effects of physico-chemical variables and planktonic algae on immature Ae. aegypti habitats in 101 water tanks (50 of them containing Ae. aegypti pupae and/or larvae) in Girardot, Colombia. Physical data were collected from the water tanks (volume, capacity, material, detritus, and location), along with the physico-chemical variables (temperature, pH, conductivity, redox potential, dissolved oxygen, percentage of oxygen saturation, nitrates, nitrites, and orthophosphates). The richness and abundance of the planktonic organisms were also measured. A chi-square test showed that the occurrence of detritus was greater and the container volume was smaller in the tanks that were positive for larvae. Only Cyanobacteria had a positive correlation with the abundance of immature-stage Ae. aegypti. The results could be important for understanding the vector ecology and envisaging its probable control in the domestic water tanks of Girardot.