Relative population densities of Aedes albopictus and A. guamensis on Guam

Aedes guamensis Farner & Bohart is indigenous to Guam but A. albopictus is known to have arrived in 1944. The larval ecology of the two species is very similar; both species breed in tree holes, coconut shells, and other natural and man-made water containers. The purpose of the study was to compare the relative densities of larval populations of the two species with those determined in a survey made in 1948-49. The results suggest that as the population density of A. albopictus increased, that of A. guamensis decreased by as much as about 95% in artificial containers, and by 30% or more in natural breeding habitats. Since there seems to be no environmental factor involved in rendering the breeding places unsuitable for A. guamensis, the reduction in A. guamensis populations may be, in part, the result of competition from A. albopictus.