New Publication: using eDNA to map the distribution of mosquitoes across urban spaces

New article published: Distribution of Culex pipiens life stages across urban green and grey spaces

Background

There is an urgent need for cities to become more climate resilient; one of the key strategies is to include more green spaces in the urban environment. Currently, there is a worry that increasing green spaces might increase mosquito nuisance. As such, this study explores a comprehensive understanding of how mosquitoes utilise contrasting grey and green habitats at different life stages and which environmental factors could drive these distributions.

Methods

We used a setup of six paired locations, park (green) vs. residential (grey) areas in a single model city (Leiden, The Netherlands), where we sampled the local microclimatic conditions and abundances of different mosquito life stages (eggs, larvae, adults) using eDNA and traditional monitoring techniques. In this study, we focused on Culex pipiens s.l., which is the most common and abundant mosquito species in The Netherlands.

Results

Our results show that while Cx. pipiens ovipositioning rates (number of egg rafts) and larval life stages were far more abundant in residential areas, adults were more abundant in parks. These results coincide with differences in the number of suitable larval habitats (higher in residential areas) and differences in microclimatic conditions (more amenable in parks).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that Cx. pipiens dispersal may be considerably more important than previously thought, where adult Cx. pipiens seek out the most suitable habitat for survival and breeding success. Our findings can inform more targeted and efficient strategies to mitigate and reduce mosquito nuisance while urban green spaces are increased, which make cities more climate resilient.

Want to know more? Check it out:

Krol L., Langezaal M., Budidarma L., Wassenaar D., Didaskalou E.A., Trimbos K., Dellar M., Bodegom P.M. van, Geerling G.W. & Schrama M. (2024), Distribution of Culex pipiens life stages across urban green and grey spaces in Leiden, The Netherlands, Parasites & Vectors 17: 37.

Distribution of Culex pipiens life stages across urban green and grey spaces in Leiden, The Netherlands | Parasites & Vectors | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)