TY - JOUR T1 - First monitoring of mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Caffarella Valley, Appia Antica Regional Park, Rome, Italy JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2017 A1 - Severini, Francesco A1 - Toma, Luciano A1 - Piccari, Fabrizio A1 - Romi, Roberto A1 - Di Luca, Marco SP - 29 EP - 32 KW - Appia Antica Regional Park KW - Italy KW - mosquito fauna KW - Rome AB - This study reports the results of the first entomological investigation focused on mosquitoes in Caffarella Valley, the inner part of Appia Antica Natural Reserve in Rome, carried out between 2012 and 2013. A total of 1173 mosquitoes were collected, with 9 species, belonging to 4 different genera, identified: Culex pipiens, Anopheles maculipennis sensu stricto (s.s.), Anopheles claviger, Culiseta annulata, Culiseta longiareolata, Aedes albopictus, Culex hortensis, Culex territans and Anopheles plumbeus. The monitoring of this area, bordering natural and urban environments, contributes to the knowledge on the culicid fauna of Rome. Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association 35: 29-32, 2017 VL - 35 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - First record of Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) (Diptera; Culicidae) from three islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy) JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2017 A1 - Toma, Luciano A1 - Toma, Federico A1 - Pampiglione, Guglielmo A1 - Goffredo, Maria A1 - Severini, Francesco A1 - Di Luco, Marco SP - 25 EP - 28 KW - Aedes albopictus KW - Asian tiger mosquito KW - islands KW - Italy KW - Mediterranean Basin. AB - Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus, an invasive mosquito originating from the Asian-Pacific region, is known as an important vector of several pathogens of public and veterinary health significance. In 1990, this mosquito was recorded for the first time in Italy (Port of Genova) and in about 20 years it has become established throughout the whole country. In this paper, we report for the first time the presence of Ae. albopictus on three small islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, namely Giglio, Ventotene and Ustica. Most probably, the maritime transport of goods and tourists during the summer is the major entry route of this mosquito species. Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association 35: 25-28, 2017 VL - 35 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Two new distribution records of Aedes (Rusticoidus) refiki Medschid, 1928 (Diptera: Culicidae) from Germany JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2017 A1 - Kuhlisch, Cornelius A1 - Kampen, Helge A1 - Walther, Doreen SP - 18 EP - 24 KW - Aedes refiki KW - Culicidae KW - ecology KW - Germany KW - identification AB - Although relatively rare, the culicid species Aedes refiki is considered widely distributed throughout Europe. It has also been described to occur over large parts of Germany, but reports are scarce and date back several decades. The last time Ae. refiki was documented for Germany was in 1980 when the species was found in the central northern part of the country. During larval sampling activities, Ae. refiki was rediscovered at two locations in the German federal state of Thuringia in spring 2016. The collection sites, method of species identification and species characteristics are described and discussed. Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association 35: 18-24, 2017 VL - 35 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Spatial distribution of immature stages of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) in flower pots in a Spanish cemetery and field evaluation of metallic copper as a control agent JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2017 A1 - Eritja, Roger A1 - Herreros, Eva SP - 13 EP - 17 KW - Aedes albopictus KW - cemetery KW - control KW - copper KW - distribution KW - larvae AB - Cemeteries have been shown to permit the development of the invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus in Southern Europe and this has facilitated its establishment on account of the huge quantity of flower pots which are adequate breeding sites for this container-adapted species. A control technique consisting of the use of pieces of metallic copper has been repeatedly proposed as a control solution for mosquito larvae in these pots. Although theoretically promising, this technique has not been used at an operative level, as there has been a lack of information on the best adapted copper formulation as well as on the mosquito larval population dynamics. The present study was planned to characterise the spatial larval distribution of Aedes albopictus in flower pots in a wall-niche burial system, and to test the cost-effectiveness of metallic copper application. We found that the preliminary distribution of larvae and pupae in the cemetery was not related to height from the ground but varied between buildings. During the 8 weeks of the trial, application of copper in the form of thin electric wire resulted in a season-accumulated reduction of 90.95% in the production of larvae and 97.06% of the pupae. Application costs and social interactions are discussed as other control methodologies would be more cost-efficient in this specific context. Copper application could be suitable for domestic environments, if application is performed adequately. Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association 35: 13-17, 2017 VL - 35 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - History of human-biting Culex pipiens in Sweden and Scandinavia JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2017 A1 - Lindström, Anders SP - 10 EP - 12 KW - Culex pipiens molestus KW - Culex pipiens s.l. KW - history KW - Scandinavia. KW - taxonomy AB - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association 35: 10-12, 2017 VL - 35 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Species identification of Swedish mosquitoes through DNA metabarcoding JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2017 A1 - Lilja, Tobias A1 - Nylander, Johan A.A A1 - Troell, Karin A1 - Lindström, Anders SP - 1 EP - 9 KW - COI KW - Culicidae KW - metabarcoding KW - next generation sequencing KW - surveillance KW - vectors AB - Abstract: DNA-barcoding utilises a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene to identify most animal species. Using next generation sequencing (NGS), this method can be further developed into metabarcoding processes that allow the simultaneous identification of several species from a mixed sample. We created a database of COI sequences of 27 mosquito species collected in Sweden, and combined our data with 27 additional sequences from GenBank to cover the taxa recently documented in Sweden and to include possible invasive taxa. Comparisons show that COI metabarcoding reliably identifies 41 of 54 species and the remainder to species group. Using three independent primer pairs along the COI gene, we further developed this barcoding approach to simultaneously identify Swedish mosquitoes in communities using NGS and quantify relative abundance of each mosquito species in the sample, using bioinformatics methods. We tested the accuracy of the metabarcoding method using communities assembled from morphologically identified mosquitoes, revealing 80% positive identification rate and the estimates of population structure which reflects the input sample. We conclude that metabarcoding is useful as a high throughput identification technique and for the quantification of species. Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association 35: 1-9, 2017 VL - 35 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Intraspecific competition among larvae of Aedes albopictus in conditions of food abundance and shortage JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2016 A1 - Macchioni, Fabio A1 - Chiavacci, Daniele A1 - Biasci, Alessandro A1 - Prati, Maria Cristina SP - 14 EP - 16 KW - Aedes albopictus KW - food abundance KW - food shortage KW - Intraspecific competition KW - mosquito larvae AB - Abstract: The competition between larvae of Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1987), an invasive mosquito species recently established in Italy, was evaluated in laboratory in conditions of food abundance and shortage. The number of emerging adults, the time of emergence and the size of the adult bodies were recorded and compared. The number of adults that emerge under conditions of food abundance was found to be significantly higher than under food shortage. When food was lacking more males than females emerged and there was no significant difference in their body sizes, while under food abundance females were larger than males. Both males and females with abundant food were on average bigger than under food shortage. There was no difference in the time of adult emergence in the two different food conditions. Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association 34: 14-16, 2016 VL - 34 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Rediscovery of Aedes cretinus (Edwards, 1921) (Diptera; Culicidae) in Cyprus, 66 years after the first and unique report. JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2016 A1 - Martinou, Angeliki F A1 - Vaux, Alexander G.C. A1 - Bullivant, Glen A1 - Charilaou, Pantelis A1 - Hadjistyllis, Haris A1 - Shawcross, Kevin A1 - Violaris, Marios A1 - Schaffner, Francis A1 - Medlock, Jolyon M. SP - 10 EP - 13 KW - Aedes KW - Cyprus. KW - distribution KW - Mediterranean basin KW - Mosquito KW - Stegomyia AB - Abstract: Mosquitoes are important vectors of parasitic helminths, protozoan and viral pathogens causing human disease. There has been a growing interest in the establishment and spread of invasive aedine mosquito species but also in understanding native mosquitoes. Following concerns regarding black and white-striped mosquitoes biting aggressively during the day, survey visits were organised by the Joint Services Health Unit on the Kryos river at the village of St. Mavra, Limassol district, Cyprus. Adult mosquitoes collected either during human landing catches in June 2015 or adults that emerged in the laboratory from water collected from tree holes in January 2016, were identified as Aedes (Stegomyia) cretinus. During the same period (June 2015), Ae. cretinus adults were also collected by the Public Health authorities of the Republic of Cyprus from a local residence at Avdellero village, Larnaca district. Aedes cretinus is a species with limited distribution and close resemblance to the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus. Information on mosquito species and their respective geographic distribution is fundamental for the goal of reducing the impact of emerging vector-borne viral zoonoses in Europe and targeting control for vector and nuisance species. Our study highlights the need for educational and raising awareness programmes regarding insects of medical importance as well as the importance of collaboration and networking between the relevant authorities. Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association 34: 10-13, 2016 VL - 34 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - First record of Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) (Diptera; Culicidae) from Minorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2016 A1 - Bengoa, Mikel A1 - Delacour-Estrella, Sarah A1 - Barceló, Carlos A1 - Paredes-Esquivel, Claudia A1 - Leza, Mar A1 - Lucientes, Javier A1 - Molina, Ricardo A1 - Miranda, Miguel Ángel SP - 5 EP - 9 KW - Aedes albopictus KW - Balearic Islands KW - entry routes KW - first record KW - invasive mosquito KW - Minorca KW - Spain. AB - Abstract: The Asian tiger mosquito is an invasive species showing a continuous expansion in the Mediterranean basin in general and in Spain in particular. The first detection of Aedes albopictus in mainland Spain was reported in 2004. Eight years later, in 2012, this mosquito species was detected in the Balearic archipelago, specifically on Majorca. In 2014 it was detected on Eivissa, another island from this archipelago. In this paper we report for the first time the presence of Ae. albopictus on the island of Minorca. Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association 34: 5-9, 2016 VL - 34 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Laboratory colonisation of Aedes geniculatus JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2016 A1 - Wagner, Stefanie A1 - Mathis, Alexander SP - 1 EP - 4 KW - Aedes geniculatus KW - blood-feeding KW - colony KW - container-breeder KW - pig intestine membrane AB - Aedes geniculatus (Diptera: Culicidae) is a container-breeding mosquito species widespread throughout Europe and adjacent regions. Similar to other container-breeding mosquitoes, this primarily mammophilic species could be a vector for several pathogens of medical or veterinary importance. We here report for the first time a laboratory colonisation of Ae. geniculatus. Eggs and larvae were collected from forest edges in the area around Zürich, Switzerland. The colony could be established by maintaining adults at room temperature in a large cage where mating occurred. Females took blood meals through a pig intestine membrane in a restricted space. After embryo development for 8 – 14 weeks at 10 °C, ‘hatching in installments’ was induced. Our established colony of Ae. geniculatus, now in its sixth generation, facilitates future studies on basic ecology and physiology of this species and its vector capacity traits. Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association 34: 1-4, 2016 VL - 34 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Blood-feeding Diptera (Culicidae and Ceratopogonidae) in an urban park of the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque Country, Spain) JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2015 A1 - Gonzalez, M A1 - Lopez,S A1 - Alarcon-Elbal, PM SP - 10 EP - 14 KW - Basque Country KW - biting midges KW - Culicidae KW - Culicoides KW - mosquitoes KW - Spain KW - urban environment AB - Haematophagous and synanthropic Diptera are responsible for the transmission of several pathogenic agents to humans, domestic and wild animals, causing diverse vector-borne diseases of paramount importance. The presence of these blood-feeding insects is well reported in many areas of the world; however, the distribution in anthropogenic zones has not been studied so far across Spain. In order to gather information on this entomofauna in urban environments, adult stages were collected using an automatic entomological aspirator during the summer season in street lamps of a public park located in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque Country, Spain). A total of 333 culicids from four species were collected in a two-year sampling period: Culex pipiens (91.3%), Culiseta longiareolata (8.1%), Culiseta litorea (0.3%) and Culex hortensis hortensis (0.3%). Moreover, 225 Culicoides specimens belonging to six different species were trapped: Culicoides punctatus (61.3 %), Culicoides obsoletus s.s. (16.8%), Culicoides duddingstoni (13.3%), Culicoides kibunensis (6.2%), Culicoides dewulfi (1.7%) and Culicoides clastrieri (0.4%). The first data of Culicoides species distribution in urban areas and the first record of C. litorea are recorded for the Basque Country region. VL - 33 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Influence of five different larval control agents on oviposition of Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae) JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2015 A1 - Akiner, Muhammet Mustafa A1 - Eksi, Elcin SP - 5 EP - 9 KW - Bacillus sphaericus KW - Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis KW - Culex pipiens L. KW - Diflubenzuron KW - monomolecular film KW - oviposition preferences KW - Temephos AB -

The effects of five different and widely used mosquito control agents (monomolecular film [MMF], diflubenzuron, Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis [Bti], Bacillus sphaericus [Bs] and temephos) on Culex pipiens L. oviposition were studied in both field and laboratory conditions. Half of the standard application dosages were used for all five control agents. Results were evaluated weekly for three weeks. All tested mosquito populations (Serik, Avariz, Slab and field) showed different degrees of oviposition preferences on experimental and control cups and pools. Culex pipiens L. tended to lay a lower number of eggs for tests groups than the control group throughout the whole test duration. Oviposition preferences of all Cx. pipiens decreased in the second week (except temephos both Avariz and field test, MMF both control and field test, Bs both Serik and control) and increased again in the third week. The repellent effects of MMF and temephos on oviposition were found to be higher than for the other larvicides. Mosquito species use different chemical cues for finding an ovipositional site. Therefore MMF and temephos may help in future control efforts, albeit less than the diflubenzuron, Bti and Bs on mosquitoes and mosquito-borne disease epidemics.
 

VL - 33 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - First record of Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) (Diptera; Culicidae) from Ibiza (Balearic Islands; Spain). JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2015 A1 - Barceló, Carlos A1 - Bengoa, Mikel A1 - Monerris, Miriam A1 - Molina, Ricardo A1 - Delacour-Estrella, Sarah A1 - Lucientes, Javier A1 - Miranda, Miguel Ángel SP - 1 EP - 4 KW - Aedes albopictus KW - ECDC guidelines KW - entry routes KW - first record KW - Ibiza KW - invasive mosquito KW - NSP KW - Spain AB -

Aedes (Stegomya) albopictus is an invasive mosquito native to tropical areas in Southeast Asia. It is an important vector of several pathogens of public and veterinary health significance. In 2004 this mosquito was recorded for the first time in Spain (Catalonia) and detected in Majorca (Balearic Islands) in 2012. In this paper, we report for the first time the presence of Ae. albopictus on the island of Ibiza (‘Eivissa’, Balearic Islands, Spain). The high volume of goods arriving by maritime transport and the increase of commercial trade and visitors during recent years have been identified as the most probable entry routes for the species on the Island.


 

VL - 33 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Invertebrates found in underground shelters of western Bohemia. I. Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2014 A1 - Dvorak, Libor SP - 27 EP - 32 KW - Anopheles KW - Culex KW - Culicidae KW - Culiseta KW - Czech Republic KW - hibernation KW - underground shelters AB -

Mosquitoes found hibernating in underground shelters were studied in western Bohemia, Czech Republic. Species collected included Culiseta alaskaensis, Cs. annulata, Cs. glaphyroptera, Culex spp., and Anopheles maculipennis s.l.. Culex spp. were the most common, followed by Cs. glaphyroptera and Cs. annulata with few records of Cs. alaskaensis and An. maculipennis s.l.. Culex spp. were found in a variety of shelters, An. maculipennis s.l. preferred cellars, and Cs. alaskaensis where they were found, exhibited little preference. Culiseta annulata and Cs. glaphyroptera were found in similar numbers of cellars, caves, and bunkers, but Cs. glaphyroptera were found more commonly in mines than Cs. annulata.


 

VL - 32 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - COI sequencing for invasive mosquito surveillance in Germany reveals genetically divergent specimens near Aedes geniculatus (Diptera: Culicidae) JF - Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association Y1 - 2014 A1 - Krüger, Andreas A1 - Obermayr, Ulla A1 - Czajka, Christina A1 - Bueno-Marí, Ruben A1 - Jost, Artur A1 - Rose, Andreas SP - 22 EP - 26 KW - Aedes (Finlaya) echinus KW - Aedes (Finlaya) geniculatus KW - Aedes (Finlaya) gilcolladoi KW - COI barcoding KW - Germany KW - invasive species AB -

During routine surveillance for invasive mosquitoes in southern Germany, using BG-Sentinel traps that were run continuously for one to two weeks, specimens were often damaged which prevented morphological species identification. We used DNA sequencing of the COI gene for molecular identification of damaged specimens, and observed two individuals from 2013 with aberrant COI-sequences. These two specimens were collected on separate occasions, and represent COI haplotypes that differ from Aedes (Finlaya) geniculatus by 2.0 - 2.4%, and from Aedes (Finlaya) echinus by 4.4 - 5.0%. Further analysis revealed a similarity to an Aedes (Finlaya) specimen from Macedonia, with these three specimens forming a genetic cluster. Our findings are discussed in the context of the three Aedes (Finlaya) species presently reported in Europe, and the potential introduction into Germany by road traffic.


 

VL - 32 ER -