We examined the ability of Culex pipiens L. complex mosquitoes from Argentina to vector West Nile virus (WNV) to assess their role in the transmission of WNV in South America. Several egg rafts of Culex spp. were collected from different breeding sites in the suburbs of the city of La Plata, Argentina, and a subset of each progeny was scored with morphological and genetic species indicators. Surprisingly, we did not find Cx. pipiens form pipiens, but found evidence of genetic hybrids of Culex quinquefasciatus and Cx. pipiens f. molestus. We then used morphological traits to create two colonies predominantly composed of one of these two taxa, although some hybrids are likely to have been included in both. These colonies were used in vector competence studies using NY99 and WN02 genotype strains of WNV obtained in New York State. As controls, we also tested colonies of U.S. Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. pipiens f. molestus. Additional Culex larvae from three drainage ditches near the cities of La Plata and Berisso, Argentina, were identified by morphological and high-resolution molecular markers (microsatellites) as Cx. quinquefasciatus Say, Cx. pipiens form molestus, and hybrids. Results indicate that Argentinian Culex are competent but only moderately efficient vectors of WNV and are less susceptible to this virus than comparable U.S. mosquito strains. Studies of vertical transmission of NY99 virus by Cx. pipiens f. molestus hybrids from Argentina yielded a minimal filial infection rate of 1.19 from females feeding during their second and later bloodmeals.

Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is a vector of many medically significant viruses in the Americas, including dengue virus, chikungunya virus, and Zika virus. Traits such as longevity, fecundity, and feeding behavior contribute to the ability of Ae. aegypti to serve as a vector of these pathogens. Both local environmental factors and population genetics could contribute to variability in these traits. We performed a comparative study of Ae. aegypti populations from four geographically and environmentally distinct collection sites in Argentina in which the cohorts from each population were held at temperature values simulating a daily cycle, with an average of 25°C in order to identify the influence of population on life-history traits. In addition, we performed the study of the same populations held at a daily temperature cycle similar to that of the surveyed areas. According to the results, Aguaray is the most outstanding population, showing features that are important to achieve high fitness. Whereas La Plata gathers features consistent with low fitness. Iguazu was outstanding in blood-feeding rate while Posadas's population showed intermediate values. Our results also demonstrate that climate change could differentially affect unique populations, and that these differences have implications for the capacity for Ae. aegypti to act as vectors for medically important arboviruses.

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The mosquito iridescent viruses (MIVs) are large icosahedral DNA viruses that replicate and assemble in the cytoplasm of the host. Paracrystalline arrangements of virions that accumulate in the cytoplasm produce an iridescent color that is symptomatic of acute infections. In August 2010, we found larvae of Culex pipiens with these symptoms in suburban ditches around the city of La Plata, Argentina. Electron microscope studies, DNA sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis of the major capsid protein confirmed this as the first record of an MIV in C. Pipiens.

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