Seasonal and hourly diversity patterns of anthropophagous female mosquito species in a semi-conserved area at the southern Mexico

Abstract

Mosquitoes are the most dangerous organisms on Earth because they spread causal agents of diseases. However, mosquito populations need to be better known in coastal areas of the Yucatan Peninsula to understand and prevent the spread of diseases effectively. To increase the knowledge about the mosquito community in the southern Gulf of Mexico region, we determined the diversity of mosquito species in Isla del Carmen Campeche. We trapped adult mosquitoes using buccal aspirators on monthly surveys (September 2019 to December 2020) in mangrove and low-semideciduous forest patches in three climate seasons. The sampling sessions consisted of 60 minutes of trapping performed every four hours (at 09, 13, 17, 21, 01, and 05 hrs) until a 24-hour cycle was completed. The trapped individuals were identified at the species level. We calculated Hill numbers using incidence data for each season and sampling hour. Abundances were compared through Kruskal-Wallis tests. A literature review determined the diseases associated with the species found. We collected 21,424 mosquito individuals from 11 genera, 26 species and four morphospecies. Seasonally, greater mosquito abundance and richness (n= 26) occurred during the norte season (χ2= 7.23, df = 2,p= 0.026) and between the 09:00 and 13:00 hrs (χ2= 15.25, df = 5,p= 0.009). Many species in this study are reported as disease vectors of medical and veterinary relevance.Conclusions:Isla del Carmen contributes to the Yucatan Peninsula’s mosquito diversity, and several of its species are vectors of pathogens to humans and wildlife.