Habitat Segregation Among Treehole Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Great Lakes Region of the United States

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Abstract
We examined the distribution, densities, and interspecific associations of the immature stages of treehole mosquitoes through field sampling. Microhabitats of larvae were partitioned among treehole mosquito species. Basal pans contained monocultures of Aedes triseriatus (Say). This species was found in more pans and shallow rotholes and fewer deep rotholes than expected. The reverse was true for Orthopodomyia alba Baker, O. signifera (Coquillett), and Anopheles barberi Coquillett. Aedes hendersoni Cockerell was found in more rotholes and fewer pans than expected. Pairwise species associations revealed two distinct subcommunities. Orthopodomyia alba, O. signifera, and Anopheles barberi were positively associated. Aedes triseriatus was negatively associated with members of the first subcommunity. The distribution of Aedes hendersoni overlapped both subcommunities and showed no significant associations with species from either subcommunity. Overall, the two Aedes species and O. alba experienced greater intra- than interspecific crowding, whereas the reverse was true for O. signifera and Anopheles barberi. Species richness was highest in elevated deep rotholes (̄ = 3.4 species per treehole sample) and lowest in basal beech pans (̄ = 1.0). Occurrences of O. signifera were not independent of season. This species appeared in fewer pre-July censuses than expected. Orthopodomyia alba, formerly considered rare, was the dominant mosquito in collections from deep rotholes and second in total abundance in all holes.