Leaf litter and larval mosquito dynamics in tree-hole ecosystems [Aedes triseriatus; Indiana]

Larvae of Aedes triseriatus mosquitoes feed on microbes that decompose leaf litter in tree-hole ecosystems. Scanning electron micrographs indicate that browsing by mosquitoes substantially reduces microbial abundance on decaying leaves. Experiments using laboratory microcosms demonstrate that increased larval density decreases larval survivorship, pupation rates, pupal biomass, and total yield. Rapidly decomposing leaf litter (sugar maple) supports more mosquito growth than slowly decomposing litter (beech and black oak). In our experiments, mosquito yield was apparently regulated by larval density and detrital dynamics.