FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DISTRIBUTION OF LARVAL MOSQUITOS OF THE GENERA AEDES, CULEX AND TOXORHYNCHITES (DIPT, CULICIDAE) ON MOOREA

Five habitat parameters were recorded during the sampling of larvae-po sitive water-filled containers located on the north side of Moorea in French Polynesia: container type, area of container aperture, organic load, water volume, and amount of canopy cover. This survey revealed t hat the amount of canopy cover significantly influenced both Toxorhync hites amboinensis and Culex quinquefasciatus larval distributions. Cul ex quinquefasciatus preferred containers in habitats with no canopy co ver or light canopy cover compared to those with heavy canopy cover. T oxorhynchites amboinensis preferred heavy-canopy habitat over habitat with no canopy cover. In addition, C. quinquefasciatus larvae were sig nificantly more common in high-water-volume sites compared to low-wate r-volume sites. None of the habitat factors were correlated with a com bined Aedes polynesiensis and Aedes aegypti larval distribution. Sampl ing of breeding sites in coconut groves revealed that sanitation effor ts were highly successful in reducing the density of fourth instar mos quito larvae (88.93 individuals/100 m(2) in unsanitized groves versus 0.36 individuals/100 m(2) in sanitized groves). In the sanitized grove s, there were less breeding sites per m(2) and less larvae per breedin g site. Sixty-nine percent of the coconut-grove larvae were found deve loping in rat-chewed coconuts. Roadside samples revealed similar succe ss of sanitation with lower fourth instar mosquito density along sanit ized roadside.