Aedes(Stegomyia)aegyptiandAedes (Howardina) cozumelensisin Yucatán State, México, with a summary of published collection records forAe. cozumelensis

Abstract

We collected mosquito immatures from artificial containers during 2010–2011 from 26 communities, ranging in size from small rural communities to large urban centers, located in different parts of Yucatán State in southeastern México. The arbovirus vector Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti was collected from all 26 examined communities, and nine of the communities also yielded another container-inhabiting Aedes mosquito: Aedes (Howardina) cozumelensis. The communities from which Ae. cozumelensis were collected were all small, rural communities (<6,000 inhabitants) in the north-central part of Yucatán State. These new collection records for Ae. cozumelensis demonstrate that this mosquito has a far broader geographic range in the Yucatán Peninsula than previously known. Ae. cozumelensis immatures were collected from both residential premises and cemeteries, with specimens recovered from rock holes as well as various artificial containers including metal cans, flower vases, buckets, tires and a water storage tank. The co-occurrence with Ae. aegypti in small rural communities poses intriguing questions regarding linkages between these mosquitoes, including the potential for direct competition for larval development sites. Additional studies are needed to determine how commonly Ae. cozumelensis feeds on human blood and whether it is naturally infected with arboviruses or other pathogens of medical or veterinary importance. We also summarize the published records for Ae. cozumelensis, which are restricted to collections from México’s Yucatán Peninsula and Belize, and uniformly represent geographic locations where Ae. aegypti can be expected to occur.

Local Evolution of Pyrethroid Resistance Offsets Gene Flow Among Aedes aegypti Collections in Yucatan State, Mexico

“…Altitude ranges from 0 to 20 meters above sea level and human population size in our collection communities varied from 2,111 to 39,611. 2 For small-scale analysis, we obtained nested collections within Merida, Uman, and Caucel (Supplemental Figure 1). Five of these collections (comprising 232 mosquitoes) originated from the city of Merida (the largest urban center in the state), and were located within 3 km of each other (Supplemental Figure 1).…”

“…In Yucatan State in Southern Mexico, Ae. aegypti is ubiquitous in large urban centers and in smaller communities 2 and dengue is hyperendemic. 3,4 The mosquito is controlled through a combination of physical source reduction (removal or alteration of potential water-holding containers) and use of insecticides including the organophosphate temephos to eliminate larvae from water-holding containers and since 2000 pyrethroids have been used to control adults in and around homes.…”

Urban Mosquito Fauna in Mérida City, México: Immatures Collected from Containers and Storm-Water Drains/Catch Basins

“…equinus , and Lim. durhamii were recorded previously in the Yucatán Peninsula (Najera-Vazquez et al 2004, Ortega-Morales et al 2010, García-Rejón et al 2012) but we present the first records of these species from Mérida City. Previous records from the Yucatán Peninsula for Toxorhynchites are restricted to Tx.…”

“…The studies reported on containers and seasonal patterns of abundance for immatures (Lloyd et al 1992; Winch et al 1992; Manrique-Saide et al 2008, 2012, 2013; García-Rejón et al 2011a; Arana-Guardia et al 2014; Baak-Baak et al 2014) and examined different indoor environments for adults (García-Rejón et al 2008, 2011b). Additional studies have reported more broadly on the mosquito fauna of the Yucatán Peninsula (Najera-Vazquez et al 2004, Zapata-Peniche et al 2007, Ortega-Morales et al 2010, García-Rejón et al 2012). …”

“…Previous studies recorded 29 mosquito species from Mérida City: Ae. aegypti , Aedes ( Ochlerotatus ) scapularis (Rondani), Aedes ( Ochlerotatus ) sollicitans (Walker), Aedes ( Ochlerotatus ) taeniorhynchus (Wiedemann), Aedes ( Ochlerotatus ) trivittatus (Coquillett), Aedes (Ochlerotatus) fulvus pallens ( Ross), Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann, Anopheles crucians Wiedemann, Anopheles vestitipennis Dyar and Knab, Anopheles pseudopunctipennis Theobald, Culex bidens Dyar and Knab, Culex coronator Dyar and Knab, Culex interrogator Dyar and Knab, Culex lactator Dyar and Knab, Culex nigripalpus Theobald, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, Culex salinarius Coquillett, Culex tarsalis Coquillett, Culex thriambus Dyar, Toxorhynchites theobaldi (Dyar and Knab), Hemagogus mesodentatus Komp and Kumm, Mansonia titillans (Walker), Uranotaenia lowii Theobald, Psorophora cyanescens (Coquillett), Psorophora albipes (Theobald), Psorophora ciliata (Fabricius), Psorophora confinnis (Lynch-Arribalzaga), Psorophora ferox (Von Humbodt), and Psorophora howardii Coquillet (Lloyd et al 1992; Winch et al 1992; Najera-Vazquez et al 2004; Zapata-Peniche et al 2007; García-Rejón et al 2008, 2011a,b, 2012; Farfan-Ale et al 2009, 2010; Manrique-Saide et al 2008, 2012, 2013). …”