Biodiversity of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in urban parks in Montes Claros - MG

Abstract

Mosquitoes are the main vectors of arboviruses, such as Dengue, Chikungunya, and Yellow Fever, and the emergence of new arboviruses represents a major challenge in many biodiverse countries, especially in places of contact between the city and green areas. Objective: The objective of this work is to describe the abundance and richness of Culicidae communities. Method: Collections were carried out in Montes Claros, MG, during the rainy season of 2017. Three parks located in urban and peri-urban areas were sampled which have different characteristics in terms of anthropogenic influence and vegetation structure. Mosquitoes were sampled using Shannon traps and landing on protected humans. For statistical analyses, Generalized Linear Models were constructed to test the effect of location on culicidae richness and abundance and Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling for communities. Results: A total of 9,715 mosquitoes belonging to seventeen species were collected, and the most abundant species were: Aedes scapularis (8298 / 85.42%), followed by Psorophora ferox (944 / 9.72%) and Aedes albopictus (113 / 1.17%). The Aedini tribe was predominant among the Culicidae identified, totaling 99.37%. Discussion: Floodwater mosquitoes, which breed in pools of water on the ground, predominate in the green areas sampled and deserve attention as potential vectors of emerging arboviruses. Final considerations: Monitoring floodwater mosquitoes should be included as a preparedness and risk assessment strategy for emerging arboviruses.