CLASSIFICATION OF IMMATURE STAGE HABITATS OF CULICIDAE (DIPTERA) COLLECTED IN CORDOBA, ARGENTINA

In order to classify mosquito immature stage habitats, samples were ta ken in 42 localities of Cordoba Province, Argentina, representing the phytogeographic regions of Chaco, Espinal and Pampa. Immature stage ha bitats were described and classified according to the following criter ia: natural or artificial; size; location related to light and neighbo ring houses; vegetation; water permanence, movement, turbidity and pH. Four groups of species were associated based on the habitat similarit y by means of cluster analysis: Aedes albifasciatus, Culex saltanensis , Cx. mollis, Cx. brethesi, Psorophora ciliata, Anopheles albitarsis, and Uranotaenia lowii (Group A); Cx. acharistus, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. bidens, Ox. dolosus, Cx. maxi and Cx. apicinus (Group B); Cx. cor onator, Cx. chidesteri, Mansonia titillans and Ps. ferox (Group C); Ae . fluviatilis and Ae. milleri (Group D). The principal component analy sis (ordination method) pointed out that the different types of habita ts, their nature (natural or artificial), plant species, water movemen t and depth are the main characters explaining the observed variation among the mosquito species. The distribution of mosquito species by ph ytogeographic region did not affect the species groups, since species belonging to different groups were collected in the same region.