Update on the distribution of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Misiones, Argentina

Abstract

The Asian tiger mosquito ( Aedes albopictus, Diptera: Culicidae) has spread rapidly in the last 30 years from its native region in Southeast Asia. In Argentina, studies on its potential distribution suggest that this species could be found in temperate zones of the province of Buenos Aires. However, since its initial detection in 1998 Ae. albopictus is bounded to the subtropical province of Misiones. To evaluate the presence and abundance of Ae. albopictus in the Northeast of Argentina, we preliminarily evaluated the presence of this vector by analyzing its presence in tires of 20 cities belonging to the province of Misiones and four cities in Northern Corrientes, and then performed an evaluation of the vector in the towns where the vector was detected. Aedes albopictus was present only in two cities of Misiones: Eldorado and Colonia Aurora. Aedes aegypti and Ae . albopictus accounted for 86% of the individuals collected in the domiciles of both towns. In Colonia Aurora both species were in similar abundances suggesting a co-dominance. The present study extends the austral distribution of Ae. albopictus in Argentina to the city of Colonia Aurora where the highest abundance recorded in Argentina was detected. Nevertheless, the reasons of its bounded distribution in the region are not known.

Short communication: New report of Aedes albopictus in Souk Ahras, Northeast Algeria

“…Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) (Diptera: Culicidae) is an invasive mosquito native from Southeast Asia (Lizuain et al 2019). It is best known as a vector of several viruses of public health significance (Bohers et al 2020;Ferreirade-Lima et al 2020;Vega-Rúa et al 2020;Vega-Rúa et al 2020) such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika.…”

“…This remarkable invasion was due in the first place to its great ecological plasticity (Benelli et al 2020;Kramer et al 2021), especially by dry-resistant eggs easily transportable through used tires and other containers (Kamal et al 2018). Especially that high invasion of Aedes mosquitoes in these artificial habitats was reported (Bennett et al 2019;Lizuain et al 2019;Malla et al 2019;Wilke et al 2019;Dallimore et al 2020). Moreover, expansion of suitable vector habitats was probably the key factor caused by climate changes (Khan et al 2020;Echeverry-Cárdenas et al 2021).…”

Temperature and photoperiod effects on dormancy status and life cycle parameters in Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti from subtropical Argentina

“…In subtropical Argentina, Ae. albopictus has been recorded in greater abundance in rural villages with abundant vegetation when compared to urban areas (Lizuain et al ., 2019). It is possible that the humidity associated with these landscapes and their effect on egg desiccation could play an important role in the limited distribution of the species (Sota & Mogi, 1992; Charlwood et al ., 2000).…”

“…albopictus could be a favourable feature for the temperate climate, allowing expansion to higher latitudes (Vezzani & Carbajo, 2008; Zanotti et al ., 2015) while Ae. albopictus maintains a bounded distribution within subtropical Northeastern Argentina (Schweigmann et al ., 2004; Lizuain et al ., 2019).…”

“…aegypti , in South America Ae. albopictus remains bounded to subtropical areas (Schweigmann et al ., 2004; Lizuain et al ., 2019) and to date, the causes that prevent the species expansion to southern locations remain unclear.…”