Checklist of Iranian mosquitoes (Diptera

ABSTRACT: The mosquito fauna of Iran includes seven genera, 64 species, and three subspecies

Vertical Distribution, Biodiversity, and Some Selective Aspects of the Physicochemical Characteristics of the Larval Habitats of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran

Background and aims: Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are still a focus of research because of their role in the transmission of diseases and annoying biting behavior. Source reduction is an effective measure to control mosquito populations, which is based on good knowledge of larval habitats. This study was conducted to obtain that basic knowledge in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Methods: This study was carried out in 2011 and 2012. Geographical coordinates, altitude, pH, temperature, and the dissolved oxygen level of larval habitats were recorded by relevant devices, followed by documenting physical attributes by direct observation. In addition, the indices of biodiversity were calculated to analyze the vertical biodiversity of species. Finally, the affinity index was calculated to elucidate species co-occurrence. Results: Eighteen species were recovered from 92 larval habitats. Low- (≤ 1400 m), mid- (1401–2000 m), and high- (≥ 2001 m) altitudes lodged 7, 17, and 14 species, respectively. Further, the indices of the species richness and biodiversity for these altitudinal categories were 0.93, 1.94, and 1.58, as well as 1.54, 2.13, and 1.96, respectively. Larval habitats were mostly natural, temporary, with standing but clear water, muddy substrate, sunlit, and with vegetation. Other physicochemical characteristics and affinity of species were described and discussed as well. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of vertical distribution and biodiversity of mosquito larvae in Iran. The relative uniformity of physicochemical characteristics of larval habitats was attributed to prevailing water resources in the studied area and sampling design. The oviposition site selection of gravid mosquitoes is still an unresolved problem which needs further investigations. Keywords:Elevation diversity gradient Breeding place Oviposition sit

Fauna and the distribution of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari province, 2011-2012

زمینه و هدف: پشه‌ها خانواده‌ی بزرگی از دوبالان را شامل می‌شوند که به لحاظ توانایی انتقال انواع عوامل بیماری‌زا در پزشکی و بهداشت اهمیت فراوانی دارند. این مطالعه به منظور تکمیل اطلاعات موجود در زمینه‌ی تنوع گونه‌ای و انتشار پشه‌های بومی استان چهارمحال و بختیاری انجام گرفته است. روش بررسی: این پژوهش توصیفی و مقطعی در طول تابستان 1390 و 1391 در تمامی شهرستان‌های استان چهارمحال و بختیاری انجام گردید. نمونه‌ها به روش ملاقه زنی جمع آوری و با استفاده از کلیدهای معتبر شناسایی شدند. داده‌های تعیین هویت و مختصات جغرافیایی نقاط نمونه برداری در نرم افزار ArcGIS 10 وارد گردید تا نقشه‌ی پراکندگی هر یک از گونه‌ها به دست آید. یافته ها: در این مطالعه، 8335 لارو از 92 زیستگاه لاروی جمع آوری گردید که به 18 گونه شامل کولیستا لانجی آرئولاتا، کولیستا ساب اوکریا، اوکلروتاتوس کاسپیوس سنسولاتو، کولکس تیلری، کولکس تریتانس، کولکس هورتنزیس، کولکس پیپینس، کولکس پرگزیگوس، کولکس میمتیکوس، کولکس ترای تنیورینکوس، کولکس اربیینی، کولکس لاتیسینکتوس، آنوفل ماکولیپنیس سنسولاتو، آنوفل سوپرپیکتوس، آنوفل دتالی، آنوفل مارتری، آنوفل کلاویژر و آنوفل تورکودی تعلق داشتند. کولکس تریتانس به عنوان یک گونه‌ی جدید برای استان چهارمحال و بختیاری گزارش می‌گردد. کولکس تیلری و آنوفل سوپرپیکتوس بیش ترین فراوانی و گسترده ترین انتشار را در استان نشان دادند. نتیجه گیری: این مطالعه نشان می‌دهد که برخی از مهم ترین پشه‌های ناقل بیماری‌ها در سطح استان چهارمحال و بختیاری از تنوع و پراکندگی وسیعی برخوردار هستند. برای تعیین توانایی پشه‌های بومی در انتقال عوامل بیماری زا در استان به مطالعات بیشتری نیاز است

Larval Habitat Characteristics of Mosquitoes of the Genus Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) in Guilan Province, Iran

An investigation was carried out during April to December 2000 to study mosquito fauna and ecology in Guilan Prov¬ince of northern Iran. The mosquito larvae were collected by dipping method and larval habitat characteristics recorded ac¬cording to hydro-ecological features. In total, 3937 larvae of the genus Culex from 92 larval breeding sites were collected. Six spe¬cies of the genus Culex; Cx. mimeticus, Cx. pipiens, Cx. theileri, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. hortensis, and Cx. terri¬tans were identified in the province and respectively comprised 10.3%, 47.2%, 2.2%, 31%, 6.5%, and 2.8% of the samples. Most of the larvae were collected from the natural habitats (75.6%) such as river edges (6.5%), riverbed pools (28.2%), rain pools (47.8%), stream edges (9.4%), grasslands (1.9%), marshes (2.8%), and hoof-prints (3.4%) and others from artificial habitats (24.4%) including rice fields (32.1%), irrigation channels (7.1%), wells (16.4%), discarded concrete tubes (33.1%), dis¬carded tires (11.0%), and agricultural water-storage pools (0.3%). The ecology of Cx. pipiens and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, which are the most prevalent species and potentially involved in the transmission of many pathogens to humans and domes¬ticated animals, must be extensively studied

Larval Habitat Characteristics of the Genus Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) and a Checklist of Mosquitoes in Guilan Province, Northern Iran

Background: Ecological data are important in the vector control management of mosquitoes. There is scattered pub­lished information about the larval habitat characteristics and ecology of the genus Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) in Iran and most of available data is in relation to malaria vectors in southern Iran. Methods: This cross sectional investigation was carried out to study the mosquito fauna and ecology in Guilan Province, northern Iran, during April–December 2000. Larvae were collected using the standard dipping technique. Larval habitat characteristics were recorded according to water situation (clear or turbid), vegetation, substrate type, sunlight situation, habitat situation (transient or permanent, running or stagnant), habitat type (natural or artificial), and water temperature. Results: In total, 1547 third- and fourth-instar larvae of Anopheles from 90 habitats were collected and morphologi­cally identified. Five species; Anopheles claviger, An.’hyrcanus’, An. maculipennis s.l., An. plumbeus, and An. su­perpictus were identified and respectively comprised 6.3%, 22.4%, 54.4%, 13.0%, and 3.9% of the samples. The mean and range temperatures of the larval habitat water were 19.6oC (n=14) (16–25oC), 22.6oC (n=53) (12–33oC), 23.8oC (n=52) (10–33oC), 11.5oC (n=12) (9–21oC), and 20.4oC (n=7) (12–26oC), respectively. There was a signifi­cant difference in the mean water temperatures (11.5–23.5oC) of the larval habitats of different species (P=0.000). Most of the genus larvae were collected from natural habitats (86.9%) such as river bed pools (46.4%) and rain pools (33.1%) with transient (98.3%), stagnant (99.5%) and clear (95.3%) water, with vegetation (69.9%), mud (42.0%) or gravel (39.7%) substrate in full sunlight (69.6%) or shaded (22.7%) area. A checklist of the province mosquitoes including 30 species and seven genera has been provided. Conclusion: The main larval habitats of the most abundant species, An.’hyrcanus’ and An. maculipennis s.l., in Guilan Province are: river bed pools, rain pools, and rice fields.  

A Checklist of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of Guilan Province and their Medical and Veterinary Importance

Background: Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are the most important arthropods in medicine and health because of the burden of diseases which they transmit such as malaria, encephalitis, filariasis. In 2011, the last checklist of mosquitoes of Guilan Province included 30 species representing 7 genera. Methods: Using the main data bases such as Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Scientific Information Database (SID), IranMedex and Magiran which were searched up to August 2018 and reviewing the literature, the available data about the mosquito-borne diseases of Iran and Guilan Province were extracted and analyzed. Also the checklist of mosquitoes of Guilan Province was updated. Results: One protozoal disease (human malaria), two arboviral diseases (West Nile fever, bovine ephemeral fever), two helminthic diseases (dirofilariasis, setariasis) and one bacterial disease (anthrax) have been found in Guilan Province which biologically or mechanically are assumed to transmit by mosquitoes. The updated checklist of mosquitoes of Guilan Province is presented containing 33 species representing 7 or 9 genera according different classifications of the tribe Aedini. Conclusion: There is no information about the role of mosquitoes in the transmission of bovine ephemeral fever and anthrax in Iran and Guilan Province. Also the vectors of dirofilariasis and setariasis are not known in Guilan Province and available data belong to other provinces. It seems that the role of arthropods in the epidemiology of anthrax is not important