Abstract
Introduction: Many mosquitoes are of great medical and veterinary importance because they transmit numerous pathogens which cause diseases in animals and humans; thus, knowing their taxonomy and distribution is pivotal for implementing the correct control strategies. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of mosquito species and their distribution in La Comarca Lagunera in the state of Durango, Mexico.Method: Adult mosquitoes were collected at different resting sites in four municipalities between August and November 2018 using Insectzookas. Aquatic habitats were also sampled for immature stages. Adult specimens were killed using lethal chambers with triethylamine vapors; while larvae and pupae were stored in individual tubes to obtain the adult stages and associated exuviae. All material was transported to the Molecular Biology Laboratory of the Parasitology Department of the Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Unidad Laguna (UAAAN-UL) for mounting and taxonomical identification. Species were identified using taxonomic keys for the region.Results: In total, 689 mosquito specimens (286 males and 403 females) were collected belonging to 15 species, among them Anopheles franciscanus McCracken, Culex erythrothorax Dyar, and Toxorhynchites moctezuma (Dyar and Knab) are new records for Durango State. The most abundant species was Cx. quinquefasciatus Say with 364 (56.2%) specimens, followed by Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (21.3%) and Ae. vexans (Meigen) (7.7%).Conclusion: 13 out of 15 species collected are associated with the transmission of an arbovirus of relevant medical or veterinary importance in Mexico. There are now 38 species recorded for Durango. The information in this study is directly relevant for the Health Ministry in Durango State for the control of vector borne diseases in the region.
Highlights
Many mosquitoes are of great medical and veterinary importance because they transmit numerous pathogens which cause diseases in animals and humans; knowing their taxonomy and distribution is pivotal for implementing the correct control strategies
There are 3,578 described mosquito species which are found in most habitats and terrestrial ecosystems (Harbach, 2020); all species are classified in two subfamilies Anophelinae and Culicinae within the Culicidae family, which include approximately 113 genera
We aimed to document occurrence and distribution of mosquito species in seven localities in La Comarca Lagunera, with the aim to update the checklist of culicid species present in the State, which would facilitate the control strategies performed by the Ministry of Health in this region
Summary
Many mosquitoes are of great medical and veterinary importance because they transmit numerous pathogens which cause diseases in animals and humans; knowing their taxonomy and distribution is pivotal for implementing the correct control strategies. The majority of mosquitoes are hematophagous insects of great medical and veterinary relevance because the females of numerous species can transmit pathogens which cause diseases in animals and humans (Harbach, 2020). Some of these pathogens are arboviruses, for example: Dengue Virus (DENV), Zika Virus (ZIKV), Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV), Yellow Fever Virus (YFV), Western Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus (WEEV) (Liria and Navarro, 2010; Díaz-González et al, 2015; Turell et al, 2015). For Durango State in particular, presently there are only 35 species reported (Vargas, 1956; Vargas and MartínezPalacios, 1956; Díaz Nájera and Vargas, 1973; Sudia et al, 1975; Duarte-Andrade et al, 2019; Hernández Amparan et al, 2020)
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