The Mosquito Alert dataset includes occurrence records of adult mosquitoes collected worldwide in 2014–2020 through Mosquito Alert, a citizen science system for investigating and managing disease-carrying mosquitoes. Records are linked to citizen science-submitted photographs and validated by entomologists to determine the presence of five targeted European mosquito vectors: Aedes albopictus, Ae. aegypti, Ae. japonicus, Ae. koreicus, and Culex pipiens. Most records are from Spain, reflecting Spanish national and regional funding, but since autumn 2020 substantial records from other European countries are included, thanks to volunteer entomologists coordinated by the AIM-COST Action, and to technological developments to increase scalability. Among other applications, the Mosquito Alert dataset will help develop citizen science-based early warning systems for mosquito-borne disease risk. It can also be reused for modelling vector exposure risk, or to train machine-learning detection and classification routines on the linked images, to assist with data validation and establishing automated alert systems.

The expansion of the tiger mosquito, a vector that can transmit diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus, poses a growing threat to global health. This study focuses on the entomological surveillance of Kastellorizo, a remote Greek island affected by its expansion. This research employs a multifaceted approach, combining KAP survey (knowledge, attitude, practices), mosquito collection using adult traps and human landing catches, and morphological and molecular identification methods. Results from questionnaires reveal community awareness and preparedness gaps, emphasizing the need for targeted education. Mosquito collections confirm the presence of the Aedes albopictus, Aedes cretinus, and Culex pipiens mosquitoes, highlighting the importance of surveillance. This study underscores the significance of community engagement in entomological efforts and proposes a citizen science initiative for sustained monitoring. Overall, this research provides essential insights for developing effective mosquito control programs in remote island settings, thereby emphasizing the importance of adopting a One Health approach to mitigate the spread of vector-borne diseases.

Vector-borne diseases significantly impact global public health, with mosquitoes playing a critical role in the transmission of various pathogens. This study focused on the mosquito fauna in the Attica region of Greece, conducting a two-year entomological survey from March 2021 to December 2022 as part of an ongoing mosquito-management program. The research employed stratified random sampling to establish 57 adult traps across the region, with additional traps on the islands of Argosaronikos and Kythira island. The BG-sentinel traps, enhanced with CO₂ to attract multiple mosquito species, were utilized for mosquito collection. Morphological identification of the collected mosquitoes revealed the presence of various species, with Aedes albopictus, Culex pipiens s.l., and Culiseta longiareolata being the most prevalent. Notably, all of our traps tested 100% positive for these species. Molecular techniques, including PCR amplification of ITS2 and COI genes, confirmed species identification. The findings highlight significant variations in species composition across different locations and emphasize the presence of invasive species such as Aedes albopictus, posing public health concerns. This study underscores the importance of continuous mosquito surveillance and integrated management strategies to mitigate the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in the Attica region. The results contribute to the development of evidence-based mosquito-control programs, which are essential for safeguarding public health in urban and peri-urban environments.

Mosquitoes transmit numerous infectious diseases, with climate change expanding their global distribution through warmer environments. Next-generation sequencing offers significant advantages for mosquito genomic surveillance and potential early warning systems. In this study, a portable metagenomic sequencing approach using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) for field-based mosquito analysis (MosquitoID protocol) was developed, enabling species and host feeding patterns identification, and pathogen detection, all coming from a single amplification-free workflow. DNA was extracted from 62 mosquito samples (Aedes albopictus, Aedes cretinus, Culex pipiens, Culiseta longiareolata) from Greece and Spain, either single-species pools (1-10 specimens) or mixed-species pools, with reverse purification method or archived samples. Additionally, 30 pooled Aedes aegypti samples from Bangladesh underwent cDNA reverse purification. All samples were sequenced using ONT rapid barcoding kits. Offline bioinformatics analysis via Geneious screened custom BLAST databases for species, host, and virus identification. MosquitoID accurately identified mosquito species in 89% of samples overall, with main discrepancies in Aedes cretinus. Virus screening detected Phasi Charoen-like virus in cDNA samples. Host DNA sequences identified multiple species including horses, cattle, and ducks. This study demonstrates metagenomic ONT sequencing's effectiveness for rapid host, species, and virus identification. After further benchmarking, the approach shows potential for real-time disease monitoring and enhanced surveillance systems. Integrating portable next-generation sequencing with offline bioinformatics tools could significantly strengthen mosquito-borne disease prevention strategies, particularly for non-bioinformaticians and in resource-limited settings.

The invasive mosquito species Aedes albopictus, commonly known as the Asian Tiger Mosquito, is a significant global health concern due to its role as a vector for diseases such as Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya. In Greece, Ae. albopictus was first detected in 2005, with subsequent widespread establishment across the country. This study investigates the genetic diversity and phylogeography of Greek Ae. albopictus populations by analyzing mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequences. A total of 488 female individuals were analyzed, revealing six haplotypes in samples collected from 2016 to 2018 using the LCO 1490 and HCO 2198 primer pair, including instances of identical haplotypes across years, while only one haplotype was consistently detected across all 2019 to 2022 samples using the UBC6 and UBC9 primer pair. These findings underscore the importance of molecular tools in understanding invasion dynamics and informing targeted surveillance and control measures. Further research is needed to assess additional worldwide populations and expand phylogeographic comparisons to elucidate global dispersal patterns.

Effective surveillance of invasive Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus , is essential for early detection, risk assessment, and optimization of control strategies such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). Although BG-Sentinel 2 traps are widely used in Europe, their performance under eastern Mediterranean conditions remains insufficiently evaluated. We assessed the attractiveness of BG-Sentinel 2 traps baited with BG-Lure, dry ice (CO ₂ ), their combination, and unbaited controls using a Latin square field design in Larnaca and Nicosia, Cyprus. A total of 1,649 mosquitoes were collected. In Larnaca, Ae. aegypti occurred at low densities. Male captures were consistently low and unaffected by attractants, while female captures increased significantly only when BG-Lure and CO ₂ were combined (RR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.6–4.5). In Nicosia, Ae. albopictus was abundant, but responses were sex-specific. Male captures were significantly reduced by CO ₂ alone (RR = 0.297, 95% CI: 0.175–0.467), with a weaker reduction when combined with BG-Lure, while female captures were not significantly affected by any treatment. For Culex pipiens , CO ₂ strongly increased female captures (RR ≈ 16), irrespective of BG-Lure, whereas males showed only a modest response to BG-Lure alone. Overall, attractant efficacy was highly species- and sex-specific. Standard baiting strategies did not consistently enhance detection of invasive Aedes mosquitoes and, in some cases, reduced male captures, with implications for SIT programs. These findings emphasize the need for local validation of surveillance protocols particularly at points of entry.