SPATIAL STABILITY OF AEDES-VIGILAX (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE) EGGSHELLS IN SOUTHEASTERN QUEENSLAND SALT MARSHES

Sampling was done to examine whether eggshells of the saltmarsh mosqui to, Aedes vigilax (Skuse), remained near the oviposition site or were dispersed by tidal flow. Few eggshells were found in the water column during tidal floodings or accumulated in the basins of small ponds whe n compared with pond banks, which is the oviposition site of A. vigila x. These data indicated that relatively few eggshells were flushed by rain or tides and that eggshell sampling can be used to pinpoint ovipo sition sites and, potentially, to focus larval control efforts within a salt marsh.