Aedes koreicus (Edward, 1917) (Diptera: Culicidae), a mosquito species native to East Asia, has spread to parts of Europe and Central Asia since 2008. The species shares ecological characteristics with Aedes japonicus (Theobald, 1901) (Diptera: Culicidae), which has already successfully invaded and established in North America and Europe. Given these similarities, it is plausible that Ae. koreicus may also invade North America in the future. However, the invasion of Ae. koreicus may be masked or have delayed detection due to their similar morphologies with Ae. japonicus. This study highlights the potential risks of invasion of Ae. koreicus into North America, especially in the northeastern United States, and for further expansion in Europe. We used the maximum entropy model to identify areas with a high likelihood of presence in North America and Europe using comprehensive occurrence records from East Asia, Central Asia, and Europe. We have identified 15 additional countries in Europe and 7 states in the United States that will likely have suitable environments for Ae. koreicus. Additionally, we reviewed the morphological characteristics of Ae. koreicus and Ae. japonicus and provided morphological keys to distinguish the 2 species. Morphological results contradicting previous studies suggested that finding the origin by morphological comparison between Ae. koreicus populations may need re-evaluation. The information presented here will be useful for researchers and public health professionals in high-risk areas to be informed about morphological characteristics to distinguish Ae. koreicus from similar-looking Ae. japonicus. These tools will allow more careful monitoring of the potential introduction of this highly invasive species.
With ongoing global efforts to eliminate malaria, several countries have entered a pre-elimination stage, in which populations of the primary mosquito vector are reduced and the rates of malaria transmission are low. Efforts to eliminate malaria have changed the dynamics of disease transmission, causing a shift in anopheline community composition in some regions. One of the most abundant species of Anopheles found in pre-elimination areas, such as southern Africa, is Anopheles squamosus (Theobald, 1901; Diptera: Culicidae). Although An. squamosus has been documented across the African continent, limited information is available about its biology. Knowing what, when, and where the malaria vector bites humans can help develop effective malaria control strategies. The aim of this review is to compile the information available on An. squamosus’s biology, ecology, distribution, behavior, and potential role in disease transmission. The review of current literature suggested that An. squamosus is abundant throughout the African continent. Studies indicate that this species occupies the same range and exhibits similar behaviors to primary malaria vectors in southern and eastern African countries, like Zambia. In conclusion, An. squamosus continues to be an understudied species that has circumvented disease control measures and further studies are needed to develop effective control strategies.
As of October 2025, Puerto Rico has been experiencing an ongoing dengue outbreak that started in March 2024. The latest island-wide mosquito survey conducted in Puerto Rico during 2018 to 2019 covered 41 of the 78 municipalities and detected the presence of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) in 27 of the municipalities. Given the prolonged elevated circulation of the dengue virus on the island, we carried out an Ae. aegypti survey in June 2025 across 48 out of 78 municipalities. Here, we report the occurrence of Ae. aegypti in 43 out of 48 municipalities surveyed, some of which have not been reported in previous studies. Notably, 77.6% of cemeteries surveyed across 24 municipalities served as oviposition sites for Ae. aegypti and were found in 10 municipalities not previously recorded in literature. Due to observed frequency of shared larval habitat with Ae. mediovittatus (Coquillett, 1906), an analysis of co-occurrence patterns is provided from collected sites. In addition, updated distribution of Ae. mediovittatus is provided. The larvivorous Tx. portoricensis (Röder, 1885) was observed opportunistically, and co-occurrence analysis was performed to assess its potential for biocontrol. We also documented effective integrated pest management practices that minimize mosquito breeding where mosquito larvae were absent. Overall, the updated distribution of the three species in Puerto Rico reveals a broader distribution than previously reported, and co-occurrence analysis confirms that Ae. aegypti and Ae. mediovittatus frequently share larval habitat. This highlights the implications for dengue transmission risk and the need for continuous surveillance to support mosquito control efforts.
The biodiversity of mosquito taxa beyond Anopheles malaria vectors has been understudied in many parts of Africa. Here, we provide a new species record of mosquitoes from Macha and its surrounding locations in southern Zambia, as well as an updated list of species from the region. With the addition of 19 new species records in this region, the total list of mosquito species reported in Macha is now 46. We present high-resolution focus-stacked photographs of some of these species, many of which were only previously available as text or drawing descriptions in mosquito identification books and articles. This visual guide provides essential tools for accurate mosquito surveillance in southern Zambia and establishes a baseline data for future invasive species monitoring.
With ongoing global efforts to eliminate malaria, many countries have entered a pre-elimination stage, in which populations of the primary mosquito vector are reduced and the rates of malaria transmission are low. Efforts to eliminate malaria have changed the dynamics of disease trans-mission, causing a shift in anopheline community composition in some regions. One of the most abundant species of Anopheles found in pre-elimination areas, such as southern Africa, is Anopheles squamosus. Though An. squamosus has been documented across the African continent, limited in-formation is available about their biology. The aim of this review is to compile the information available for An. squamosus biology, ecology, distribution, behavior, and potential role in disease transmission. The review of current literature suggested that An. squamosus is abundant throughout the African continent. Studies indicate that this species occupies the same range and exhibits similar behaviors to primary malaria vectors in southern and eastern African countries like Zambia. Anopheles squamosus continues to be an understudied species that has circumvented disease control measures. Further studies are needed to develop resources to accurately identify this species from morphologically cryptic, closely related species and to effectively assess its role in malaria parasite transmission.
As of October 2025, Puerto Rico has been experiencing an ongoing dengue outbreak that started in March 2024. The latest island-wide mosquito survey conducted in Puerto Rico during 2018– 2019 covered 41 of the 78 municipalities and detected the presence of Aedes aegypti in 27 of the municipalities. Given the prolonged elevated circulation of dengue virus on the island, we carried out an additional Ae. aegypti survey in June 2025 across 44 out of 78 municipalities, including areas with no prior records of the species. Here, we report the occurrence of Ae. aegypti in 43 out of 44 municipalities surveyed, including ten new municipalities where Ae. aegypti has not been reported. These findings provide insight into the dispersal of Ae. aegypti in Puerto Rico, indicating that the species is much more widespread than previously known. We also provide the expanded species occurrence of Aedes mediovittatus and Toxorhynchites portoricensis , which share the same larval habitat as Ae. aegypti . Notably, 96% of cemeteries surveyed across 24 municipalities served as oviposition sites for Ae. aegypti . However, a few cemeteries demonstrated effective preventative practices that minimize mosquito breeding. This effective management, which resulted in no mosquito breeding in some cemeteries and a tire shop, brings hope that communication and education of property/facility managers can reduce the mosquito populations.