Spatial and Seasonal Patterns of the Mosquito Community in Central Oklahoma

Mosquitoes (<i>Culicidae</i>) are ubiquitous flying insects that function as vectors for several viruses that cause disease in humans. Mosquito abundance and diversity are influenced by landscape features and environmental factors such as temperature and precipitation and vary across sea...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: David Hoekman, Bailee Cummings, Helen Arango, Nicholas Back, Randall Welles, Noah Pelletier, Katelyn Helwig, Christian Escritt, Kayla Thomas, Hailie Fellers, Callie Campbell, Alyssa Wheeler, Raul Iglesias, Hayden Jacobs, Macey Lively, Caio Martinelle B. França
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-09-01
Series:Pathogens
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/11/9/1007
Description
Summary:Mosquitoes (<i>Culicidae</i>) are ubiquitous flying insects that function as vectors for several viruses that cause disease in humans. Mosquito abundance and diversity are influenced by landscape features and environmental factors such as temperature and precipitation and vary across seasons and years. The range and phenology of many mosquito species that vector viruses relevant to human health are changing. We sampled mosquito communities in central Oklahoma for four years at thirteen sites, collecting over 25,000 mosquitoes; among these, we identified 27 different species, including several that transmit human pathogens and were collected in suburban backyards. Community composition differed across the landscape and changed from early season to late season and year to year. This effort to describe mosquito communities in Oklahoma is a first step toward assessing and predicting arbovirus risk, an ongoing and dynamic public health challenge.
ISSN:2076-0817