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1 January 2015 Seasonal and Daily Activity Patterns of Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Vectors of Pathogens in Northeastern Italy
Fabrizio Montarsi, Luca Mazzon, Stefania Cazzin, Silvia Ciocchetta, Gioia Capelli
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Abstract

The seasonal and daily activity of mosquito vectors of pathogens affecting animals and humans were studied in northeastern Italy at a site within the Po River Delta Park. A CDC-CO2 trap and a gravid trap were operated at 2-h intervals for 24 h every 15 d from May to October 2010. Overall, 5,788 mosquitoes comprising six species were collected, namely Culex pipiens L. (75.1% of total), Aedes caspius (Pallas) (15.2%), Aedes vexans (Meigen) (6.9%), Anopheles maculipennis s.l. Meigen (2.6%), Culiseta annulata (Schrank) (0.2%), and Culex modestus Ficalbi (<0.1%). The relative abundance of these species increased from May until the beginning of July and then decreased, disappearing at the beginning of October. The diel host-seeking patterns and oviposition site-seeking patterns were species specific and were differentially affected by the ecological variables recorded at the day and hour of mosquito collection or two weeks before collection. Knowledge of the seasonal and daily host-seeking patterns of mosquitoes highlights the time periods of the day and the seasons of potential exposure for animals and humans to mosquito-borne pathogens, therefore delineating the best time for the application of preventive measures. Furthermore, knowledge of the oviposition site-seeking activity of the mosquitoes optimizes the capture of gravid females, thereby enhancing the likelihood of detecting pathogens.

© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.
Fabrizio Montarsi, Luca Mazzon, Stefania Cazzin, Silvia Ciocchetta, and Gioia Capelli "Seasonal and Daily Activity Patterns of Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Vectors of Pathogens in Northeastern Italy," Journal of Medical Entomology 52(1), 56-62, (1 January 2015). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tju002
Received: 10 February 2014; Accepted: 8 October 2014; Published: 1 January 2015
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KEYWORDS
daily activity
host-seeking activity
mosquito-borne pathogen
northeastern Italy
oviposition activity
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