Potential Distribution of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) scapularis (Diptera: Culicidae): A Vector Mosquito New to the Florida Peninsula

Abstract

Aedes scapularis is a neotropical mosquito known to transmit pathogens of medical and veterinary importance. Its recent establishment in southeastern Florida has potential public health implications. We used an ecological niche modeling approach to predict the abiotic environmental suitability for Ae. scapularis across much of the Americas and Caribbean Islands. Georeferenced occurrence data obtained from the Global Biodiversity Inventory Facility and recent collection records of Ae. scapularis from southern Florida served as input for model calibration. Environmental layers included bioclimatic variables provided in 2000 to 2010 average Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications climatic (MERRAclim) data. Models were run in the software program Maxent. Isothermality values often found in costal environments, had the greatest contribution to model performance. Model projections suggested that there are areas predicted to be suitable for Ae. Scapularis across portions of the Amazon Basin, the Yucatán Peninsula, the Florida Peninsula, and multiple Caribbean Islands. Additionally, model predictions suggested connectivity of highly suitable or relatively suitable environments spanning the United States Gulf Coast, which may facilitate the geographic expansion of this species. At least sixteen Florida counties were predicted to be highly suitable for Ae. scapularis, suggesting that vigilance is needed by vector control and public health agencies to recognize the further spread of this vector.

Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) diversity along a rainy season and edge effects in a riparian forest in Southeastern Brazil

“…Discovered in the Brazilian state of São Paulo in the 1970 s, it caused the largest outbreak of meningoencephalitis ever recorded in the country and continues with its cycle still poorly understood, but involves wild birds and some mosquitoes found in this study, such as Psorophora spp., Aedes scapularis and Culex ( Melanoconion ) (Saivish et al, 2021). Aedes scapularis is a mosquito with great invasive potential, being able to bridge the gap between wild and urban environments; it was recently described as expanding its geographic distribution to the state of Florida in the USA (Campbell et al, 2021). The findings presented here demonstrate that these riparian forest areas are strategic in epidemiological surveillance in Cerrado areas.…”

Ecological Niche Modelling Approaches: Challenges and Applications in Vector-Borne Diseases

“…Thus, whenever possible, the databases to be used must be filtered and reinforced with a molecular identification (i.e., [69,[80][81][82]). Despite the aforementioned, the issue is usually neglected, and most of the studies rely solely on morphological identification (e.g., [83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95][96], but see [97] for a mixed approach), or do not even describe the identification method [70,82,[98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108].…”

Challenges to Mitigating the Urban Health Burden of Mosquito-Borne Diseases in the Face of Climate Change

“…incriminated as vectors for arboviruses and parasitic nematodes have shown recent evidence of territorial expansion. Aedes notoscriptus , a major vector of the Ross River virus and Dinofilaria in Australasia, has recently been found in California [ 74 , 75 ]. Aedes scapularis , vectors of arbovirus and filaria, has spread north from the neotropics to California and Florida [ 76 ].…”