Honors Theses

Advisor

Ryan McEwan and M. Eric Benbow

Department

Biology

Publication Date

Spring 4-2014

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to look at the impact of a highly invasive plant, Lonicera maackii, on the primary vector of West Nile Virus in the Eastern United States, Culex pipiens. Three different assays using two different microcosms experiments were conducted to determine the rate of survivorship, pupation, emergence, and larval growth of mosquito larvae in native (Platanus occidentalis and Acer saccharum) and invasive (L. maackii leaf and flower) leachates. It was found that L. maackii has the potential to increase mosquito populations due to the fast decaying nature of its leaves and flowers which create an ideal leachate for mosquito larvae.

Permission Statement

This item is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and may only be used for noncommercial, educational, and scholarly purposes.

Keywords

Undergraduate research

Disciplines

Biology | Life Sciences

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