Preliminary Inventory and General Aspect of the Distribution of Culicidae Species in the Steppe Region (M'sila, Algeria)

Mosquitoes are important living organisms that participate in the different levels of food chains. However, many families include vector species capable to transmit viruses, bacteria and parasites to both humans and animals, threatening the public health. The goal of this work was to describe the biological diversity of mosquito species in different areas in M'sila; Algeria based on the ecological nature of their habitat. The breeding sites found were 18 distributed in five areas (Berhoum, Bou Saâda, El hamel, Hammam Dhalaa and M'sila). The inventory that was carried out from September to April every year from 2017 to 2019 has revealed 14 species of Culicidae distributed through three genera. The Culiseta longiareolata species was the most predominant, occupying different types of permanent and temporary breeding sites. However, the distribution of species based on the ecological types of these sites revealed: Anopheles cinereus, Anopheles sergentii, Culex brumpti, Culex deserticola, Culex hortensis, Culex impudicus, Culex laticinctus, Culex martinii Culex modestus,Culex perexiguus,Culex pipiens, Culex theileri and Culiseta longiareolata species presence The study of mosquito populations in the M’sila region has never been approached ecologically, biologically and systematically. Focus of this study was devoted to the systematics of Culicidae species, as well as the characterization of their structure, using ecological parameters as well as the study of Spatio-temporal variations, of the Culicidae population.

Fish-Released Kairomones Affect Mosquito Oviposition and Larval Life History

Several species of mosquitoes respond to the presence of kairomones released by larvivorous predators during oviposition habitat selection and larval development. These responses may differ among mosquito species and do not always correlate with larval survival. This study examined the responses of the mosquito Culiseta longiareolata Macquart (Diptera: Culicidae) to kairomones released by three species of fish, Gambusia affinis (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae), Aphanius mento (Cyprinodontiformes: Cyprinodontidae) and Garra rufa (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) during oviposition. In addition, the study examined the effects of kairomones released by Gm. affinis on larval development and survival. Results show that ovipositing female avoided cues from the two larvivorous fish species but not the algivorous Gr. rufa. In addition, developing larvae metamorphosed slower and showed increased mortality when exposed to fish-released kairomones. Culiseta longiareolata larvae are known as dominant competitors, and the straightforward responses of both larvae and adult female to fish-released kairomones may be explained by the lack of additional sources of larval stress other than the presence of predators.

First Detections of Culiseta longiareolata (Diptera: Culicidae) in Belgium and the Netherlands

Culiseta (Allotheobaldia) longiareolata (Macquart) (Diptera: Culicidae) is an ornithophilic mosquito species that occurs in the southern Palaearctic Region from the Azores to Central Asia, the Ethiopian Region, India, and Pakistan. Although it has a widespread distribution range, the species was only recently reported in Western and Central Europe. Between 2017 and 2020, larvae, pupae, and adults of Cs. longiareolata (n = 161) were found at 13 distinct locations in Belgium (n = 4) and The Netherlands (n = 9). Collected mosquitoes were morphologically identified and the identification was then validated by COI DNA barcoding. These are the first records of the species in the above-mentioned countries. The present results suggest that Cs. longiareolata could be increasing its distribution range in temperate regions, indicating a warming climate. As the species might be a potential vector of bird pathogens (e.g., West Nile virus), its spread in Western Europe is noteworthy.

Mosquito survey reveals the first record of Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) species in urban area, Annaba district, Northeastern Algeria

The diversity, distribution and ecology of mosquitoes, especially arbovirus vectors are important indices for arthropod-borne diseases control. The mosquito larvae were collected in different habitats in four sites of Annaba district, Algeria, during the period of March 2018 to February 2019 and the properties of larval habitats were recorded for each site. The systematic study revealed the presence of 8 species belonging to 4 genera; including Culex pipiens (Linnaeus, 1758), Culex modestus (Ficalbi, 1889), Culex theileri (Theobald, 1903), Culiseta longiareolata (Macquart, 1838), Anopheles labranchiae (Falleroni, 1926), Anopheles claviger (Meigen, 1804), Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894). Among the species, C. pipiens presented the highest species abundance (RA %) (55.23%) followed by C. longiareolata (20.21%). The Aedes species are recorded for the first time in the study urban area. Variation of diversity in different sites depends on the type of breeding habitat. These results provided important information on species diversity, distribution and factors associated with breeding habitats. They could be used for the mosquito control and to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases to the population of the region.

Etude sur la faune Culicidienne (Diptera: Culicidae) de la région de Tizi-Ouzou (Nord d’Algérie) : Biodiversité, abondance et répartition

Dans le but d’améliorer nos connaissances sur la diversité spécifique de la faune Culicidienne au niveau de la région de Tizi-Ouzou (Nord d’Algérie), nous avons mené un échantillonnage bimensuel dans 20 gîtes larvaires différents au cours d’une période allant du mois de février 2019 jusqu’au mois de juin 2020. Treize (13) espèces ont été recensées (Aedes (Ochlerotatus) caspius (Pallas, 1771), Aedes (Finlaya) geniculatus (Olivier, 1791), Anopheles maculipennis s.l. Meigen, 1818, Anopheles (Anopheles) claviger (Meigen, 1804), Culex (Culex) pipiens Linnaeus,1758, Culex (Maillotia) deserticola Kirkpatrick, 1925, Culex (Maillotia) hortensis Ficalbi, 1889, Culex (Neoculex) impudicus Ficalbi, 1890, Culex (Neoculex) territans Walker,1856, Culex (Culex) perexiguus (Theobald, 1903), Culiseta (Allotheobaldia) longiareolata (Macquart, 1838), Culiseta (Culiseta) subochrea (Edwards, 1921), Uranotaenia (Pseudoficalbia) unguiculata (Edwards,1913) appartenant à cinq genres (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Culiseta, Uranotaenia). Culex pipiens est l’espèce la plus abondante avec une fréquence relative de 44,53%, suivie par Culiseta longiareolata avec 41,96%.

Fish-released kairomones affect Culiseta longiareolata oviposition and larval life history

Several species of mosquitoes respond to the presence of kairomones released by larval predators during oviposition habitat selection and larval development. These responses may differ among mosquito species and do not always correlate with larval survival. This study examined the responses of the mosquito Culiseta longiareolata Macquart to kairomones released by three species of fish during oviposition, Gambusia affinis Baird and Girard, Aphanius mento Heckel and Garra rufa Heckel. In addition, the study examined the effects of kairomones released by G. affinis on larval development. Results show that ovipositing female avoided cues from larvivorous, but not algivorous fish. In addition, developing larvae metamorphosed slower and showed increased mortality when exposed to fish-released kairomones. Results suggest that the responses of this mosquito species to fish-released kairomones may be explained by its competitive ability.