Seasonal prevalence and container preferences of Aedes albopictus in Santo Domingo City, Dominican Republic.

The seasonal prevalence and container preferences of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) were studied in the park, Parque Mirador del Norte in Santo Domingo City, Dominican Republic, from January to December 1994. Tire ovitraps were set along a transect through the park and monitored weekly while two larval surveys were conducted in both the park and surrounding houses using standard entomological methodology. No seasonal pattern of oviposition was observed with similar numbers of positive tire traps collected in the wet and dry season. Most of the positive ovitraps were located in the middle of the park. Within ovitraps, Aedes aegypti (L.), Ae. albopictus, Culex corniger (Theobald), Ochlerotatus albonotatus (Coquillett), and Toxorhynchites sp. were collected. The larval surveys found 7 associated mosquito species, including Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Ochleotatus mediovittatus (Coquillett), Anopheles albimanus (Weidemann), Culex nigripalpus (Theobald), and Culex quinquefasciatus Say. The Ae. albopictus breeding sites were plastic buckets (4), rock holes (3), and Styrofoam lunch containers (3). We suggest that further studies should be conducted to determine its geographic distribution and vector potential in the Dominican Republic.