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Northern Territory Department of Health Library Services Historical Collection
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AEDES AEGYPTI SURVEY 20 FEBRUARY 1979
INTRODUCTION A survey was conducted to determine whether
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aedes aegypti was present in the ~~llowing places of the Northern Territory, Hayes Creek, Bridge Creek, Adelaide River, Batchelor and Coomalie Creek. The survey was undertaken by P.I. Whelan and K. Hodder of the Entomology section, Darwin on the
20 February 1979.
METHOD Small plastic containers, black in colour, measuring 160 m high and 100 mm diametre was part filled with water. Inside the plastic container was suspended a masonite strip measuring 150 mm long and 30 mm wide. This masonite strip, permitted the female mosquito to rest on whilst depositing her eggs just above the water level. It is mentioned that the same type of container is used in and around the city of Darwin, monitoring continually for evidence of Aedes aegypti. These containers were placed out 8 days prior to our survey. Day time, man biting catches were made at Hayes Creek, Bridge Creek; and Coomalie Creek.
This method involved exposing the bared legs of each of the two officers for a limited period usually 10 minutes. When a mosquito rested on a leg i t was immediately captured with the aid of
a mechanical asperator, then brought back to Darwin for identification.
HAYES CREEK is situated approximately 192 kilometres south of Darwin on the Stuart highway, the little settlement consists of a roadhouse where there is limited accommodation and a couple of other buildings scattered here and there. At the rear of the roadhouse and some 50 metres away in a westerly direction there is a deposit of old motor car bodies, 44 gallon and four
gallon drums plus a number of other containers which hold rainwater for varying periods during the wet· season.
One of the car bodies was upside down and inside a mudguard rainwater and debris had accumulated thus making an ideal
artificial breeding site for ~edes Sp. of.mosquitoes, in actual fact a single larvae was found here and identified as Aedes DL HIST
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purpureus which has predacious mouth parts and infers that other larvae had been present and were eliminated.
In an old four gallon drum, which had a small hole at the top
was also part filled with rain water, inside the drum was breeding, Aedes Katherinensis, Ae. notoscriptus,
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punctolateralis andCulex halifaxii. Again Culex halifaxii being cannabalistic and prey on other mosquito larvae, and further, away was a half cut
44 gallon drum part filled with rain water and leaf debris breeding large numbers of mosquitoes. The predominant species being Ae. Katherinensis.
BRIDGE CREEK is a small creek which crosses the Stuart highway approximately 16 kilometres north of Hayes Creek and only runs
during the wet seasoD. On both banks of the creek there is growing native bamboos, and where a bamboo trunk has broken off or damaged by bush fires, leaving behind a small stump, rainwater has
accumulated making an ideal breeding site for Aedes species of mosquitoes. On examination and using an aspirator, we found Ae. Katherinensis there
ADELAIDE RIVER is situated on the banks of the Adelaide river, a township now with a population of some 200 people about 115
kilometres south of Darwin. The greater population residing on the Northern side of the river now. However, on the southern side is the older part of the township and still houses a number of people. Our survey was made around the o~d railway cottages where there still is in use a number of rain water tanks, however, we found negative breeding in these tanks. A number of other receptacles
including an old concrete washing tub, part filled with rain water and rotting debris was found to be breeding Ae. notoscriptus and ex. fatigans
BATCHELOR again is a small township some 16 kilometres west of the Stuart highway and about 90 kilometres south of Darwin.
A number of back yards were checked for containers with rainwater as well as rubbish dump within walking distance of the township.
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4owever the only breeding found worthy of mention was that of Aedes notoscriptus which again is a container breeding species of mosquito.
COOMALIE CREEK A man biting collection in amongst the rain- forest part of Coomalie Creek revealed there was no Aedes
aegypti present. A twenty minute catch by two persons captured
(from 1030 - 1050 a.m.) the following mosquitoes - Culex annulirostris 3, Tr. magnesianus, 1 Anopheles bancroftii, 3 Coq
Xanthogaster, 1 Ae. funereus, 1.
CONCLUSION It was established, that Aedes aegypti were not located breeding at any of the places surveyed, but would
imply that there is very favourable habitats for the reintroduction of this specie<;sho.uld the surveillance programs be relaxed.
The finding of Aedes Katherinensis at Bridge Creek is a new recording, and is being found in most unu~ual places.
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Ae. Katherinensis is one of the scptc4 la:.t::i-s group as is Aedes aegypti.
K. Hodder
TECHNICAL OFFICER
AEDES AEGYPTI SURVEY 20 FEBRUARY 1979
HAYES CREEK, BRIDGE CREEK, ADELAIDE RIVER, BATCHELOR, COOMALIE CREEK SPECIES FOUND
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