Mosquito diversity in retention pond and wetland stormwater control measures

Stormwater control measures (SCMs) are necessary to mitigate the negative impacts of stormwater runoff on rivers and lakes, however, these structures often incorporate permanent pools of water that are viable breeding habitats for mosquitoes.  SCMs have been shown to harbor human disease vectors, nuisance species, and innocuous mosquito species.  However, the extent to which different types of SCMs serve as breeding grounds for various mosquitoes or the degree to which this varies with geographical location has not been well established.  The goal of this project was to assess the population diversity of mosquito species in two types of SCMs, retention ponds and constructed stormwater wetlands, in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area.  During May through August 2020, larval mosquito samples were taken weekly from six wetlands and six retention ponds around Columbus.  All larval instars were identified to species, when possible, by morphological characteristics and mosquito diversity was assessed for each site and SCM type.  These samples were dominated by innocuous species (e.g. Culex territans), however, both nuisance pest species (e.g. Anopheles spp.) and human and veterinary disease vectors (e.g. Aedes vexans and Culex pipiens) were also found commonly in these samples.  Preliminary data did not show significant differences in mosquito richness or abundance, however, wetlands showed similar community composition to each other whereas ponds were more varied.  The results from this project will help urban planners assess the potential risk to human health and quality of life that mosquitoes in these SCMs present.