Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Keywords
Aedes vexans, Culex pipiens, Culex tarsalis, GARP, Maxent, predictive maps
Journal/Book/Conference Title Title
Journal of Insect Science
Volume
10
Issue
110
Abstract
Ecological niche modeling (ENM) algorithms, Maximum Entropy Species Distribution Modeling (Maxent) and Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction (GARP), were used to develop models in Iowa for three species of mosquito – two significant, extant West Nile virus (WNV) vectors (Culex pipiens L and Culex tarsalis Coquillett (Diptera: Culicidae)), and the nuisance mosquito, Aedes vexans Meigen (Diptera: Culicidae), a potential WNV bridge vector. Occurrence data for the three mosquito species from a state-wide arbovirus surveillance program were used in combination with climatic and landscape layers. Maxent successfully created more appropriate niche models with greater accuracy than GARP. The three Maxent species’ models were combined and the average values were statistically compared to human WNV incidence at the census block group level. The results showed that the Maxent-modeled species’ niches averaged together were a useful indicator of WNV human incidence in the state of Iowa. This simple method for creating probability distribution maps proved useful for understanding WNV dynamics and could be applied to the study of other vector-borne diseases.
Department
Department of Geography
Department
GeoTree Center
Original Publication Date
2010
DOI of published version
10.1673/031.010.11001
Repository
UNI ScholarWorks, University of Northern Iowa, Rod Library
Copyright
© 2010 Scott R. Larson, John P. DeGroote, Lyric C. Bartholomay, and Ramanathan Sugumaran
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Date Digital
2010
Language
EN
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Larson SR, DeGroote JP, Bartholomay LC, Sugumaran R. 2010. Ecological niche modeling of potential West Nile virus vector mosquito species in Iowa. Journal of Insect Science 10:110 available online: insectscience.org/10.110
Comments
First published in Journal of Insect Science, v. 10 n.110 (2010), published by Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1673/031.010.11001