Zika virus (ZIKV) was recently introduced into the Western Hemisphere, where it is suspected to be transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti in urban environments. ZIKV represents a public health problem as it has been implicated in congenital microcephaly in South America since 2015. Reports of ZIKV transmission in forested areas of Africa raises the possibility of its dispersal to non-human-modified environments in South America, where it is now endemic. The current study aimed to detect arboviruses in mosquitoes collected from areas with low human interference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Using a sensitive pan-flavivirus RT-PCR, designed to detect the NS5 region, pools of Ae. albopictus and Haemagogus leucocelaenus, were positive for both ZIKV and yellow fever (YFV). Virus RNA was detected in pools of adult males and females reared from field-collected eggs. Findings presented here suggest natural vertical transmission and infection of ZIKV in Hg. leucocelaenus and Ae.albopitcus in Brazil.

This study registers the diversity of Culicidae in the Bom Retiro Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPNBR), Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, based on the collection of the immature stages in natural and artificial larval habitats. Larvae and pupae were collected monthly at two sites of the RPPNBR from May 2014 to July 2015 using dippers and aquatic pipettes. The diversity of the mosquito community was described using the Shannon–Wiener Diversity Index (H′), as well as diversity, richness, and dominance of species found in different larval habitats (lake, bamboos, bromeliads, and artificial vessels). The Mann–Whitney test was used to calculate differences between the two natural and artificial habitats. Overall, 15,659 specimens belonging to 25 species, ten genera, and two subfamilies were collected. The most abundant species collected at sites that were reforested recently were Culex pleuristriatus Theobald, 1903, Limatus durhamii (Theobald, 1901), Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1895), Culex neglectus (Lutz, 1904), and Culex retrosus (Lane & Whitman, 1951). In a forest preserved site, the most abundant species were Cx. neglectus, Culex iridescens (Lutz, 1905), Sabethes identicus (Dyar & Knab, 1907), Wyeomyia arthrostigma (Lutz, 1905), and Li. durhamii. With respect to larval habitats, 0.1% of the specimens were collected along the edge of a lake, 5.5% in bamboos, 35.9% in bromeliads, and 58.4% in artificial containers. Only 5.5% of the specimens were collected in the forest preserved site, with the remaining samples from the site with altered vegetation. A greater species richness and diversity were found in forest-altered sites compared to the forest preserved site. Several species were collected in the water accumulated in the nylon lids of plastic water tanks. Such vessels can promote an increase in mosquito population density in the environment surrounding the study area.

Although tropical forests are home to most of the global diversity, they suffer from the most significant knowledge gaps concerning their fauna. Despite its high biodiversity, Brazil is facing an alarming destruction of habitats, with species becoming extinct before they can be discovered or described via science. Therefore, there is an urgent need to expand wildlife inventories, including entomofauna surveys. The present study aimed to analyze the bionomic aspects and the influence of abiotic factors on mosquito fauna whose immature phases develop in two bamboo species, Guadua tagoara and Bambusa vulgaris, in Tijuca National Park, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Immatures were collected in 10 artificially drilled bamboo plants, in five stalk internodes per plant, at two sampling points, from March 2022 to March 2023, during 23 collections. A total of 1845 immatures were obtained, 72.14% at sampling point 1 and 27.86% at sampling point 2. Of this, 1162 individuals reached adulthood, belonging to the following species: Culex iridescens, Culex neglectus, Haemagogus leucocelaenus, Orthopodomyia albicosta, Sabethes identicus, Sabethes melanonymphe, Sabethes purpureus, Toxorhynchites bambusicola, Toxorhynchites sp., Trichoprosopon compressum, Trichoprosopon pallidiventer, Wyeomyia arthrostigma, Wyeomyia codiocampa, Wyeomyia lutzi, Wyeomyia oblita, Wyeomyia personata, Wyeomyia serrata, and Wyeomyia sp. The Tijuca National Park is a tourist spot and receives a large number of visitors. Thus, humans can become an accessible food source for mosquitoes in this area, making the species survey critical since important arbovirus vectors have been recorded in Rio de Janeiro.

Understanding mosquito diversity in natural environments under anthropogenic influence or undergoing vegetation recovery is essential for comprehending potential behavioral changes and adaptations in the activity patterns of these populations. Within this context, this study aimed to investigate the oviposition activity, seasonal abundance, hatching dynamics, and sex ratio of medically important Culicidae species using ovitraps as an entomological surveillance tool, with special attention to Haemagogus leucocelaenus, Aedes terrens, and Aedes albopictus, and to analyze their distribution within an agroforestry area. The study was conducted at Sítio Terra Boa, a rural property managed under an agroforestry system, in the municipality of Silva Jardim, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between August 2021 and June 2025. Ten ovitraps were installed at a height of approximately 2 m above ground level and randomly distributed around an area cultivated with açaí (Euterpe oleracea) and peach palm (Bactris gasipaes). Collections were conducted monthly, and the paddles were replaced and subsequently sent to the laboratory for analysis. The 47-month study provided valuable data regarding the ecology of these species in an agroforestry environment. Haemagogus leucocelaenus was the dominant species throughout the study, and mosquito abundance peaked during the warmer months, particularly from December to April. The results revealed seasonal fluctuations in populations, species-specific oviposition patterns in response to environmental changes, displacement of sylvatic species such as Hg. leucocelaenus toward anthropized areas, and the expansion of urban vectors such as Ae. albopictus into forest matrices. The higher abundance of Hg. leucocelaenus in the ovitraps suggests that this species may persist in agroforestry areas; however, comparative studies across different landscape types are needed to evaluate its ecological adaptation. The coexistence of Haemagogus and Aedes species within the same forest fragment under anthropogenic interference reinforces the need for continuous entomological surveillance in these environments. These findings contribute to understanding vector ecology in recovering Atlantic Forest environments and provide support for future control programs.

Background: Vector distribution influences arbovirus persistence. This study examined the diversity of mosquito breeding sites in an Atlantic Forest fragment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Under the topic "Dengue Fever: A Brief Overview," in the first paragraph, please write the name of the species in italics. It is important to correct this throughout the text of the manuscript. It is interesting in the entomological field of mosquit...