Correlation of habitats and species composition of mosquitos in Mizoram, North East India

Mosquitoes were surveyed and sampled from diverse breeding sites such as cattle shed, ponds, river beds, tanks, forest pools, ditches, streams, rock holes, tree holes, intradomestic containers and shallow pits and identified 20 different species of mosquito which fall under five genera: Anopheles, Culex, Culiseta, Aedes and Toxorhynchites. Breeding habitats such as ponds was the richest habitats shared by 15 mosquito species while lowest species diversity (3 species) was recorded from tanks. Generally, all the collected species were found in natural habitats in quiet/stagnant conditions at a depth of 0.1 - 0.5 m. Generally, the maximum number of species preferred partially shady and temporary water habitats. Moderate vegetation and clear water habitats also supported adiverse range of mosquito species. The highest association coefficient (0.96) was found between Cx. tarsalis and Cx. peus, followed by Cu. melanura and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus (0.95). Since, the lowest coefficient of association (0.25) was found between Cx. mimeticus and Ae. aegypti which fall under different group. The results of forward multiple regression analyzed dissolved oxygen, TDS, temperature, alkalinity, pH and hardness as environmental parameters on the relative abundance of immature stages of mosquitoes.