Spatial patterns of Anopheles freeborni and Culex tarsalis (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae in California rice fields.

Spatial patterns of Anopheles freeborni Aitken and Culex tarsalis Coquillett larvae were studied during summer by sampling with a standard mosquito dipper in 104 rice fields in northern California. Culex tarsalis larval abundance was highest initially, then decreased and remained low through late summer. An. freeborni larval abundance was low initially, increased steadily, and peaked in mid-August. The degree of aggregation for both species as measured using Taylor's power law and Iwao's Patchiness Regression was highest among the first instars and then decreased as the larvae aged. Seasonal peaks in the degree of aggregation were observed. Analysis of covariance showed that for Taylor's model both instar and time effects were statistically significant, with instar showing the largest effect. In comparison, all slopes resulting from Iwao's model were significantly different, indicating that this model was affected by specific combinations of instar, week, and location and, thus, was less useful in developing an area-wide sampling plan. Optimal sample size was estimated using two methods. One method calculated the number of dips needed to estimate population abundance at three fixed-precision levels. The second calculated the minimum number of dips needed to collect at least one larva. The latter requires a substantially smaller sample size and may provide an effective method for monitoring larval mosquito abundance for control purposes.