Larval Habitats Diversity and Distribution of the Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Species in the Republic of Moldova

Abstract

A countrywide field survey of immature mosquitoes was conducted in Moldova with the aim to evaluate the Culicidae species composition in different larval habitats and their distribution in the country. In total, 259 potential larval habitats were sampled in the 53 localities, resulting in 9,456 specimens. Twenty species belonging to the genera Anopheles, Aedes, Culex, Culiseta, and Uranotaenia were collected. Mean species richness in aquatic habitats ranged from 1.00 to 4.00, and, for example, was higher in swamps, flood plains, ditches, and large ground pools and lower in rivers, streams, tree-holes, and containers. Six mosquito species were identified only in a single type of aquatic habitat. Anopheles maculipennis s.l., Culex pipiens pipiens L., and Culex modestus Ficalbi were the most abundant and distributed species representing over 80% of the identified specimens. Three, four, and five associated species were recorded from 23.5% of mosquito-positive aquatic habitats. Our findings demonstrate the co-occurrence of Cx. p. pipiens and Culex torrentium Martini in natural and rural environments. It is concluded that the study area has undergone a dramatic ecological change since the previous studies in the 1950s, causing the near extinction of Culex theileri Theobald from Moldova. An. maculipennis s.l. larval abundance, reduced by the DDT control of the adults in the 1950s, had returned to those of the 1940s. Restoration of An. maculipennis s.l. abundance in combination with imported malaria cases constitute a risk of the reintroduction of malaria transmission in Moldova.

Effects of environmental modification on the diversity and positivity of anopheline mosquito aquatic habitats at Arjo-Dedessa irrigation development site, Southwest Ethiopia

“…Generally, an increase in mosquito breeding habitats results an increase in vector density and eventually leading to increased malaria transmission [25,26]. Most of the mosquito breeding habitats identified in this study were previously reported elsewhere [13,27,28]. However, the nature and formation of some of the habitats made them specific and unique to the study area and thus can be target for intervention.…”

Little pigeons can carry great messages: potential distribution and ecology of Uranotaenia (Pseudoficalbia) unguiculata Edwards, 1913 (Diptera: Culicidae), a lesser-known mosquito species from the Western Palaearctic

“…Immature stages of the species can be found from May to October across a variety of habitats, both in natural and urbanized areas [ 3 – 5 ]. Thus, larvae occur mostly in stagnant permanent, fresh or slightly brackish (up to 1000–1100 mg/l) water bodies, often overgrown with higher aquatic vegetation [ 5 – 8 ]; occasionally, they have also been found in more ephemeral environments such as rice paddies, puddles, hoof prints, and artificial containers [ 3 , 9 , 10 ]. Associations with instars of the following mosquito species have been recorded in the literature: Anopheles algeriensis , An.…”

“…longiareolata , Cs. subochrea , and Ochlerotatus caspius [ 3 , 5 – 8 , 11 – 16 ], which evidently suggest a broad ecological plasticity of Ur. unguiculata .…”

Both consumptive and non-consumptive effects of predators impact mosquito populations and have implications for disease transmission

“…Cx. pipiens mosquitoes can live in permanent aquatic environments, such as ground pools (Amini et al, 2020, Barr, 1967, Dida et al, 2018, Sulesco et al, 2015), ponds (Lühken et al, 2015), stream edges (Amini et al, 2020), and lake edges (Vinogradova, 2000) that are more common in rural areas, but Cx. pipiens are also found in urban and suburban residential areas, where they typically breed in artificial containers (Sulesco et al, 2015), including tires (Lühken et al, 2015, Nikookar et al, 2017, Verna, 2015), rainwater tanks (Townroe and Callaghan, 2014), and catch basins (Gardner et al, 2012).…”

“…pipiens mosquitoes can live in permanent aquatic environments, such as ground pools (Amini et al, 2020, Barr, 1967, Dida et al, 2018, Sulesco et al, 2015), ponds (Lühken et al, 2015), stream edges (Amini et al, 2020), and lake edges (Vinogradova, 2000) that are more common in rural areas, but Cx. pipiens are also found in urban and suburban residential areas, where they typically breed in artificial containers (Sulesco et al, 2015), including tires (Lühken et al, 2015, Nikookar et al, 2017, Verna, 2015), rainwater tanks (Townroe and Callaghan, 2014), and catch basins (Gardner et al, 2012). Artificial containers are less likely to harbor larger predators, such as freshwater fish (Cyprinidae and Poeciliidae), salamander larvae (Ambystomatidae), dragonfly larvae (Aeshnidae), and backswimmers (Notonectidae) because temporary aquatic environments cannot support the relatively long development times of these organisms.…”