Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain.
Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain.
Parasit Vectors. 2024 Apr 2;17(1):168. doi: 10.1186/s13071-024-06263-z.
Mosquitoes inhabiting urban green spaces and cemeteries in Europe represent a crucial facet of public health concern and contribute to the ecological balance. As urbanization intensifies, these areas increasingly serve as vital habitats for various mosquito species, fostering breeding grounds and increasing the risk of disease transmission.
A study was conducted in the three main cities (inland, coastal, and estuarine) of the Basque Country, northern Spain, to investigate the species composition, abundance, dynamic populations, larval habitats, and host preferences of mosquitoes in urban green spaces and cemeteries. CDC traps and dipping were used to collect mosquitoes for 2 years (2019-2020).
A total of 21 mosquito species were identified, with Culex pipiens s.l. being the most abundant and widespread. The three ecological forms of Cx. pipiens were found, and Cx. pipiens pipiens was the most common in both green areas and cemeteries. Morphological identification together with molecular tools identified 65 COI sequences with high homology. The highest species richness was found in the inland city, followed by the coastal city and the estuarine city. Mosquito abundance was significantly higher in green areas compared to cemeteries and in the coastal and estuarine cities compared to the inland city. The investigation of larval breeding sites highlighted the dominance of Cx. pipiens s.l., particularly in semi-artificial ponds, diverse water-holding containers (tyres and buckets) and drainage systems in green areas; in cemeteries, most of the larvae were found in flowerpots and funerary urns. Seasonal activity exhibited variable peaks in mosquito abundance in the different cities, with a notable increase in July or August. Additionally, blood meal analysis revealed that Cx. pipiens s.l. fed on several common urban avian species.
Studies on mosquitoes are essential to understand their role in disease transmission and to design targeted and sustainable management strategies to mitigate the associated risks.
欧洲城市绿地和公墓中的蚊子是公共卫生关注的一个重要方面，它们对生态平衡也有重要影响。随着城市化的加剧，这些区域越来越成为各种蚊子物种的重要栖息地，为它们提供了繁殖地，并增加了疾病传播的风险。
本研究在西班牙北部巴斯克地区的三个主要城市（内陆、沿海和河口）进行，调查了城市绿地和公墓中蚊子的物种组成、丰度、动态种群、幼虫栖息地和宿主偏好。使用 CDC 陷阱和诱捕法收集蚊子，共进行了 2 年（2019-2020 年）。
共鉴定出 21 种蚊子，其中库蚊属的种类最为丰富和广泛。发现了三种生态型的库蚊，其中库蚊属的库蚊在绿地和公墓中最为常见。形态学鉴定与分子工具相结合，共鉴定出 65 条 COI 序列，具有高度同源性。内陆城市的物种丰富度最高，其次是沿海城市和河口城市。与公墓相比，蚊子在绿地中的丰度更高，与内陆城市相比，在沿海和河口城市中的丰度更高。幼虫孳生地的调查突出了库蚊属的优势，特别是在半人工池塘、各种蓄水容器（轮胎和水桶）和绿地排水系统中；在公墓中，大部分幼虫都在花盆和骨灰瓮中。不同城市的蚊子丰度的季节性活动表现出不同的高峰，7 月或 8 月有明显增加。此外，血液餐分析表明，库蚊属的蚊子以几种常见的城市鸟类为食。
对蚊子的研究对于了解它们在疾病传播中的作用以及设计有针对性和可持续的管理策略来减轻相关风险至关重要。
