Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of Ecuador: A revised checklist, new records and species of medical importance

Abstract

Ecuador is one of the countries with the highest biodiversity in the world, this can also be seen in the Culicidae family. However, there are a limited number of studies on this group. This work provides a baseline reference for this insect group and information about numerous potential and vector disease species. Species names and records were extracted from the National Mosquito Reference Collection at INSPI-Quito, published literature and web databases. The specimens at the INSPI collection were identified using morphological keys and, in a few cases, using molecular markers in the genus Anopheles. An updated list includes the subfamilies Culicinae and Anophelinae, eight tribes, 22 genera and 200 species. We present 18 species cataloged as new records for Ecuador represented in two subfamilies, 6 tribes and 9 genera. Taxonomic notes, geographical distribution and medical importance data for the species involved are provided. The updated list of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) is a guide for researchers and health personnel when studying biodiversity, fauna, insect vectors and strategies to prevent the spread of vector diseases.

Species diversity and spatial distribution of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from La Isla Amazon Park, Napo Province, Ecuador

“…urichii have been found in the husks of white cacao (Theobroma grandiflorum) (Berti et al, 2013) and bacao (Theobroma bicolor) (Booth, 2018). While both Theobroma species have been described in Ecuador (Duque et al, 2019;Ponce et al, 2021), there are no records linking them to Culicidae.…”

“…Anophelinae comprised of three genera, Culicinae divided into 11 tribes, encompassing 113 genera (Harbach & Wilkerson, 2023). In Ecuador, there are recorded species from both subfamilies, eight tribes, 22 genera, totaling 200 species (Ponce et al, 2021;Ramón et al, 2019).…”