Mosquitoes of the genus Culiseta: peculiarities of distribution in Ukraine and worldwide
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31210/spi2026.29.01.21Keywords:
mosquitoes, genus Culiseta, Culiseta longiauriculata, distribution, morphological characteristicsAbstract
Mosquitoes are among the most numerous members of the arthropod phylum. They act as vectors in the transmission of many pathogens affecting both animals and humans. The most common genera of mosquitoes are Anopheles, Aedes and Culex, whilst Culiseta, Mansonia and others are less well known. According to scientists, the genus Culiseta comprises 42 identified species of mosquitoes and three extinct ones; in particular, the most common species include Cs. annulata, Cs. ongiareolata, Cs. melanura, Cs. alaskaensis, Cs. morsitans, Cs. subochrea, Cs. glaphyroptera, Cs. fumipennis, Cs. ochroptera and others. They can act as vectors for filariasis pathogens; in particular, Cs. incidens for Dirofilaria immitis and Cs. longiareolata for the Usutu virus. As data on the distribution of various mosquito species in Ukraine are insufficiently documented, we decided to carry out mosquito trapping and subsequent identification in the Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi regions of Ukraine from June 2024 to October 2025. We collected mosquitoes using BG Sentinel traps (Biogents AG, Regensburg, Germany) with the addition of carbon dioxide using a special chemical reagent as an attractant. Based on the results of morphological identification of the captured mosquitoes using identification guides, we detected 1.4 % of Cs. longiareolata among all captured mature mosquitoes. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of reports from various European countries regarding the detection of Cs. longiareolata, indicating the spread of this species in climatic conditions similar to those in Ukraine in recent years. This, in turn, may be linked to changes in climatic conditions and global warming in general. Furthermore, this species is already the fifth representative of the genus Culiseta, in addition to the previously recorded Cs. annulata, Cs. glaphyroptera, Cs. alaskaensis and Cs. morsitans, which are registered within Ukraine. This species, like other mosquito species in general, requires further detailed study, as it acts as a vector for pathogens of parasitic, bacterial and viral origin, which may pose a threat to the health of various animal species and humans.
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