Composition and diversity of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in urban parks in the South region of the city of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Many parks in the city of São Paulo contain remnants of Atlantic Forest. Of the 30 municipal parks in the South of the city, we investigated two in this study (Santo Dias Park and Shangrilá Park) in order to survey their mosquito fauna and investigate the presence of potential bioindicators of environmental conditions and vectors of human pathogens. Mosquitoes were collected monthly between March 2011 and February 2012 using aspirators, Shannon and CDC traps for adult mosquitoes and larval dippers and suction samplers for immature forms. Sampling effort was evaluated by plotting a species accumulation curve, and total richness was estimated using the first-order jackknife. To compare the diversity between the two parks Shannon and Simpson diversity indexes were calculated. Species similarity was compared by the Sorensen similarity index. In all, 8,850 specimens were sampled in both parks. Collections in Santo Dias Park yielded 1,577 adult mosquitoes and 658 immature individuals distributed in seven genera (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Limatus, Mansonia, Toxorhynchites and Wyeomyia) and 27 taxonomic units. Among the adult mosquitoes collected, Culex nigripalpus .and Aedes fluviatilis were the most abundant, while the most abundant immature forms were Cx. imitator, Wy. davisi, Wy. galvaoi and Ae. albopictus. Collections in Shangrilá Park yielded 4,952 adult specimens and 1,663 immature forms distributed in eight genera (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Limatus, Mansonia, Toxorhynchites, Uranotaenia and Wyeomyia) and 36 taxonomic units. Species accumulation curves in both parks were close to the asymptote, and the total richness estimate was close to the observed richness. Although the observed species richness was higher in the Shangrilá Park, there was no statistically significant difference between the diversity indexes measured. Regarding species composition, the two sites shared 16 species, including those of epidemiological importance such as Culex nigripalpus, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Aedes albopictus and Ae. aegypti. As some of the mosquito taxa found are bioindicators of environmental conditions and have epidemiological potential to carry pathogens, we recommend that urban parks should be included in official mosquito surveillance programs, and regular surveys carried out to detect circulating arboviruses.

Importance of microenvironment to arbovirus vector distribution in an urban area, São Paulo, Brazil

“…aegypti was present at the edge of the parks, whereas Ae. albopictus was found inside the parks 32 . In an investigation of a dengue outbreak in Tokyo, Japan, a population of Ae.…”

Silent circulation of dengue virus in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) resulting from natural vertical transmission

“…As urban parks are open to the public, infected visitors can contribute to the expansion of several arboviruses. Furthermore, the continuous contact between humans, competent vectors and viruses make these parks high-risk areas for infection by DENV and other arboviruses, raising the question of the relevance of urban green areas in the transmission and maintenance dynamics of arboviruses [59][60][61] . Bearing in mind the biological characteristics of Ae.…”

Estudo da fauna de mosquitos (Diptera: Culicidae) com simultânea investigação de infecção natural por Flavivirus em duas Unidades de Conservação da Mata Atlântica, Estado de São Paulo

“…Dessa forma, no caso dos arbovírus, uma vez que estão presentes no mesmo ambiente que o vetor e o hospedeiro vertebrado, por meio do hábito hematofágico, os vírus podem se manter em circulação através do ciclo silvestre, em áreas florestadas e rurais, e ciclo urbano, em áreas urbanas e preriurbanas (Figura 2) (FORATTINI, , 2002SIMMONDS et al, 2017). Com relação à busca de alimento, pode ocorrer a distribuição vertical dos mosquitos entre a copa das árvores e o nível do solo, o que vai depender de cada espécie e da localização do hospedeiro (CARVALHO et al, 2014(CARVALHO et al, , 2017.…”

“…Aegypti (transmissor do vírus da febre amarela silvestre, na África e urbana nas Américas, dos quatro sorotipos do vírus da dengue), Ae. albopictus (vetor potencial dos quatro sorotipos do vírus da dengue, Chikungunya e Zika na América), Haemagogus leucocelaenus (vetor do vírus da febre amarela silvestre na América), dentre outras (URBINATTI et al, 2001;MONTES, 2005;RIBEIRO et al, 2012;DUARTE et al, 2013;MEDEIROS-DE-SOUSA, 2013, 2015PAULA et al, 2015;CARVALHO et al, 2014CARVALHO et al, , 2017CERETTI-JÚNIOR et al, 2015; MORAIS e NATAL, 2017; HEINISCH, 2019). Embora a fauna de culicídeos que circulam no município de São Paulo sejam mais conhecidas atualmente, ainda são escassas as informações a respeito da fauna de mosquitos presentes em Unidades de Conservação como a APA Capivari-Monos e o Parque Estadual da Cantareira, inseridos na região metropolinana de São Paulo.…”

“…, distribuídos em nove gêneros em dois parques(CARVALHO et al, 2017); 37.972 culicídeos catalogados 73 táxons, distribuídos em 14 gêneros em nove parques(MEDEIROS-SOUSA et al, 2017). Ru.…”