Population fluctuations of mosquitoes in the non-seasonal tropics

Abstract.

• 1 Seasonal and annual fluctuations in abundance of a number of species of mosquitoes were studied in a relatively non-seasonal climate near Almirante, Panama.
• 2 The fluctuations observed were large, but did not have a period of 1 year and should be classified as non-seasonal.
• 3 At each site the various species were not synchronous in their fluctuation pattern, but the fluctuations of each species were synchronous over an area of at least 4 km long, in spite of large differences in habitat.
• 4 Changes in abundance from year to year observed in these mosquitoes are large compared with those of insects, including mosquitoes, in other areas of Panama.
• 5 The importance of such large and unpredictable fluctuations in abundance for planning control measures is discussed.