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En 2016 se estableció un sistema anual de vigilancia entomológica para la detección de Aedes albopictus en la comunidad autónoma de La Rioja. En el verano de 2020, se detectó por primera vez la presencia de huevos en una zona urbana, lo que constituye el primer registro de esta especie en la región. La identificación de este mosquito invasor supone un cambio en el riesgo de aparición de casos de arbovirosis en La Rioja. La vigilancia entomológica es crucial para el diseño de estrategias de control que, junto con la vigilancia epidemiológica, puedan evitar la aparición de brotes autóctonos de arbovirosis. En este trabajo se detalla el proceso de la primera detección de mosquito tigre en La Rioja, así como las intervenciones llevadas a cabo y las perspectivas de futuro. In 2016, an annual entomological surveillance program for the detection of Aedes albopictus in the autonomous community of La Rioja was established. In the summer of 2020, the presence of eggs was detected for the first time in an urban area, which constitutes the first record of this species in the region. The identification of this invasive mosquito implies a change in the risk of occurrence of arbovirus cases in La Rioja. Entomological surveillance is crucial for the design of control strategies that, together with epidemiological surveillance, can prevent the appearance of autochthonous arbovirus outbreaks. This work is a detailed description of the first detection of tiger mosquito in La Rioja, as well as the completed interventions, and the perspectives for the future.

Este artículo contiene 12 páginas, 2 tablas, 2 figuras., Background: Active surveillance aimed at the early detection of invasive mosquito species is usually focused on seaports and airports as points of entry, and along road networks as dispersion paths. In a number of cases, however, the frst detections of colonizing populations are made by citizens, either because the species has already moved beyond the implemented active surveillance sites or because there is no surveillance in place. This was the case of the frst detection in 2018 of the Asian bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus, in Asturias (northern Spain) by the citizen science platform Mosquito Alert. Methods: The collaboration between Mosquito Alert, the Ministry of Health, local authorities and academic research‑ ers resulted in a multi-source surveillance combining active feld sampling with broader temporal and spatial citizensourced data, resulting in a more fexible and efcient surveillance strategy. Results: Between 2018 and 2020, the joint eforts of administrative bodies, academic teams and citizen-sourced data led to the discovery of this species in northern regions of Spain such as Cantabria and the Basque Country. This raised the estimated area of occurrence of Ae. japonicus from < 900 km2 in 2018 to > 7000 km2 in 2020. Conclusions: This population cluster is geographically isolated from any other population in Europe, which raises questions about its origin, path of introduction and dispersal means, while also highlighting the need to enhance sur‑ veillance systems by closely combining crowd-sourced surveillance with public health and mosquito control agencies’ eforts, from local to continental scales. This multi-actor approach for surveillance (either passive and active) shows high potential efciency in the surveillance of other invasive mosquito species, and specifcally the major vector Aedes aegypti which is already present in some parts of Europe., RE and FB from Mosquito Alert received funding from “la Caixa” Foundation (ID 100010434), under agreement HR18-00336 (Community-Driven Big Data Intel‑ ligence to Fight Mosquito-Borne Disease). This project has also been funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, under the grant agreement 874735 (VEO). Samplings in the Basque Country were funded by the Department of Public Health and the Department of Economic Development and Infrastructures of the Basque Government, and co-funded by the project EU-LIFE 18 IPC/ES/000001 (Urban Klima 2050).

Haematophagous Diptera, such as mosquitoes (Culicidae), biting midges (Ceratopogonidae), and black flies (Simuliidae), are important insects for public and animal health due to their capacity to bite and transmit pathogens. Outdoor recreation areas are usually affected by biting species and provide suitable habitats to both adult and immature stages. This study aimed to determine the species diversity and larval sites of these Diptera groups in two golf courses.A multi-method collection approach using ultraviolet-CDC traps, human landing catches, collection in breeding sites, and ovitraps was implemented during summer 2020 in northern Spain. Insects were determined by morphological features accompanied by DNA barcoding.A total of ten native mosquito species were recorded either as adults or as larval stages. The invasive species Aedes japonicus was collected only at egg or pupa stage in ovitraps. Culex pipiens s.l. and Culex torrentium were both common mosquito species accounting for 47.9% of the total larval site collections and their larvae might be found in a wide range of natural and artificial sites. Culiseta longiareolata specimens were also prominent (30.1% of the total) and occurred exclusively in man-made water-filled containers. A total of 13 Culicoides species were identified, 10 of which were captured by ultraviolet-CDC traps, particularly members of the Obsoletus complex (Culicoides obsoletus/Culicoides scoticus, 74.9%) and seven species by emergence traps, being the two most abundant C. kibunensis (44.8%) and C. festivipennis (34.9%). Simulium cryophilum was also collected hovering around the operator under field sampling.A comprehensive representation of the blood-sucking Diptera fauna and their larval sites was obtained by the multi-method approach in two Spanish golf courses.

An important element of vector control and surveillance of mosquito-borne diseases is updated information on vector species distribution. The aim of this study was to collect available information about mosquito species reported in Extremadura between 1920 and 2020 and create a catalog that would combine both published data and our recent field identifications. An exhaustive list is hereby presented, including species status and detailed distribution maps at a municipal level as well as their importance for public health. A total of 33 species, classified into five genera: Anopheles (five species), Aedes (14), Culex (nine), Culiseta (four), and Orthopodomyia (one) has been recorded, including 31 autochthonous, one invasive, Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus, and one disappeared since 1953, Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti. For the first time in Extremadura, we report the presence of important vectors such as Aedes (Aedimorphus) vexans vexans and Culex (Culex) perexiguus, and the new record of six species in the province of Badajoz, namely: Aedes (Dahliana) echinus, Aedes (Fredwardsius) vittatus, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) berlandi, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) pulcritarsis, Culex (Culex) mimeticus, and Culiseta (Culiseta) subochrea. Nineteen of these species are potential vectors of medical and veterinary relevance.

Phlebotomus (Transphlebotomus) mascittii Grassi, 1908 (Diptera: Psychodidae) has been found in several European countries. In Spain, sporadic records were reported in the early ’80s in Catalonia (Northeast Spain), and it was never detected again. Recent entomological surveys carried out between 2004 and 2020 revealed the presence of several specimens of P. mascittii in Spain. The species identification was confirmed by both morphological and molecular analyses. The analyzed specimens belonged to the haplotype (COI_2) defined by one polymorphic site compared to other European specimens. Phlebotomus mascittii was found in low population densities in rural areas associated with livestock farms and in an urban cemetery during the summer season. This study provides the first records of this species in various localities along the Cantabrian cornice (Northern Spain) and represents its westernmost observation in the Palearctic region. The implications of the finding of this uncommon species are discussed at different levels, with emphasis on its suspected role in the transmission of leishmaniosis.

Changes in environmental conditions, whether related or not to human activities, are continuously modifying the geographic distribution of vectors, which in turn affects the dynamics and distribution of vector-borne infectious diseases. Determining the main ecological drivers of vector distribution and how predicted changes in these drivers may alter their future distributions is therefore of major importance. However, the drivers of vector populations are largely specific to each vector species and region. Here, we identify the most important human-activity-related and bioclimatic predictors affecting the current distribution and habitat suitability of the mosquito Culex pipiens and potential future changes in its distribution in Spain. We determined the niche of occurrence (NOO) of the species, which considers only those areas lying within the range of suitable environmental conditions using presence data. Although almost ubiquitous, the distribution of Cx. pipiens is mostly explained by elevation and the degree of urbanization but also, to a lesser extent, by mean temperatures during the wettest season and temperature seasonality. The combination of these predictors highlights the existence of a heterogeneous pattern of habitat suitability, with most suitable areas located in the southern and northeastern coastal areas of Spain, and unsuitable areas located at higher altitude and in colder regions. Future climatic predictions indicate a net decrease in distribution of up to 29.55%, probably due to warming and greater temperature oscillations. Despite these predicted changes in vector distribution, their effects on the incidence of infectious diseases are, however, difficult to forecast since different processes such as local adaptation to temperature, vector-pathogen interactions, and human-derived changes in landscape may play important roles in shaping the future dynamics of pathogen transmission. info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

Se expone la primera cita de Aedes (Fredwardsius) vittatus (Bigot, 1861) en la comunidad autónoma de Galicia, conseguida gracias a la plataforma de ciencia ciudadana Mosquito Alert. Aun cuando este proyecto está enfocado hacia la detección y seguimiento de dos especies de culícidos exóticos invasores: Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse 1894) y Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (L.), se evidencia la gran capacidad existente para el estudio de la biodiversidad así como la detección de otras especies por parte de plataformas que se apoyan en miles de ciudadanos motivados y un equipo experto. We present here the first record of Aedes (Fredwardsius) vittatus (Bigot, 1861) in the autonomous region of Galicia, obtained by the means of the citizen science project Mosquito Alert. Whereas this project only aims to the monitoring and early detection of the two invasive mosquito species Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse 1894) and Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (L.), it is worth noting its capacities in regards to the general biodiversity study and the detection of mosquito species if a large pool of users combines with the expert knowledge.

On October 3rd 2018, dengue virus (DENV) infection was confirmed in three family members (symptoms onset between August 18th and 27th) without travel history outside of Spain. They had been together in the Autonomous Communities (AC) of Murcia and Andalusia. By the end of October, a second cluster of two dengue cases (symptoms onset on September 27th and 30th) was confirmed in the AC of Murcia. DENV type 1 sequence was identical to the first cluster, and the epidemiological link was a visit from a case of the first cluster to a fruit-farm neighboring the small village of residence of the second cluster. The entomological investigation found Aedes albopictus activity in this area although all mosquitoes were PCR-negative for DENV. This is the first autochthonous dengue outbreak identified in Spain. This outbreak highlights challenges to timely detect and respond to DENV transmission and opens questions on dengue dynamics in a non-endemic context.

Background: A number of mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue virus (DENV), Usutu virus (USUV), West Nile virus (WNV) are autochthonously transmitted in Europe and six invasive mosquito species have been detected in this temperate region. This has increased the risk for the emergence of further mosquito-borne diseases. However, there is a paucity of information on whether European populations of invasive mosquito species are competent to transmit arboviruses. In this study, the susceptibility of Aedes albopictus originating from Spain and a laboratory-adapted colony of Aedes aegypti, was assessed for infection with, and transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV). Vertical transmission in both species was also assessed. Methods: Aedes albopictus colonised from eggs collected in Spain and an existing colony of Ae. aegypti were fed infectious blood meals containing ZIKV (Polynesian strain) at 1.6 × 10 7 PFU/ml. Blood-fed mosquitoes were separated and maintained at 20 °C or 25 °C. Legs, saliva and bodies were sampled from specimens at 7, 14 and 21 days post-infection (dpi) in order to determine infection, dissemination and transmission rates. All samples were analysed by real-time RT-PCR using primers targeting the ZIKV NS1 gene. Results: At 14 dpi and 21 dpi, ZIKV RNA was detected in the bodies of both species at both temperatures. However, live virus only was detected in the saliva of Ae. aegypti at 25 °C with a transmission rate of 44%. No evidence for virus expectoration was obtained for Ae. albopictus under any condition. Notably, ZIKV RNA was not detectable in the saliva of Ae. aegypti at 20 °C after 21 days. No vertical transmission of ZIKV was detected in this study. Conclusions: Experimental infection of Ae. albopictus colonized from Spain with ZIKV did not result in expectoration of virus in saliva in contrast to results for Ae. aegypti. No evidence of vertical transmission of virus was observed in this study. This suggests that this strain of Ae. albopictus is not competent for ZIKV transmission under the conditions tested. © 2019 The Author(s).

[Background] Aedes japonicus is an invasive vector mosquito from Southeast Asia which has been spreading across central Europe since the year 2000. Unlike the Asian Tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) present in Spain since 2004, there has been no record of Ae. japonicus in the country until now., [Results] Here, we report the first detection of Ae. japonicus in Spain, at its southernmost location in Europe. This finding was triggered by the citizen science platform Mosquito Alert. In June 2018, a citizen sent a report via the Mosquito Alert app from the municipality of Siero in the Asturias region (NW Spain) containing pictures of a female mosquito compatible with Ae. japonicus. Further information was requested from the participant, who subsequently provided several larvae and adults that could be classified as Ae. japonicus. In July, a field mission confirmed its presence at the original site and in several locations up to 9 km away, suggesting a long-time establishment. The strong media impact in Asturias derived from the discovery raised local participation in the Mosquito Alert project, resulting in further evidence from surrounding areas., [Conclusions] Whilst in the laboratory Ae. japonicus is a competent vector for several mosquito-borne pathogens, to date only West Nile virus is a concern based on field evidence. Nonetheless, this virus has yet not been detected in Asturias so the vectorial risk is currently considered low. The opportunity and effectiveness of combining citizen-sourced data to traditional surveillance methods are discussed., Mosquito Alert is currently promoted by the ‘la Caixa’ Banking Foundation and Dipsalut from the Diputació de Girona, and sponsored by the Company Lokimica S.A.

In 2004, Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse, 1894) was observed for the first time in Catalonia, northeastern Spain. A decade later, it has spread throughout the eastern Mediterranean region of the country and the Balearic Islands. Framed within a national surveillance project, we present the results of monitoring in 2013 in the autonomous communities of the mainland Levante. The current study reveals a remarkable increase in the spread of the invasive mosquito in relation to results from 2012; the species was present and well-established in 48 municipalities, most of which were along the Mediterranean coastline from the Valencian Community to the Region of Murcia. Financial support: Directorate General of Public Health, Quality and Innovation, Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equity in Spain (Entomological surveillance at airports and ports against imported vectors of exotic infectious diseases and surveillance of potential indigenous vectors of such diseases project, OTRI 2013/0215) Sí

First findings of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse, 1894) in the province of Valencia, Spain Framed within the project "Entomological surveillance at airports and ports against vectors of imported infectious diseases, and sur- veillance of potential native vectors of these diseases", on Septem- ber 2011 Aedes albopictus (Diptera, Culicidae) is reported for the first time in the province of Valencia in the coastal municipalities of Sueca, Cullera and Gandia, using oviposition traps.

Two gynandromorphs of Culex theileri are described. The individuals were caught in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention miniature light traps in the municipality of Alcollarin, Caceres, Spain, in 2011. One of the specimens presented polar gynandromorphism, whereas the other showed a combination of polar and transverse gynandromorphic features. Details are given of the main characteristics of both mosquitoes, with particular emphasis that this gynandromorphic finding is only the second reported for this mosquito species worldwide.

espanolSe reporta la estrecha relacion entre uno de los principales vectores del virus del Nilo Occidental (VNO), Culex pipiens (Diptera, Culicidae), y la planta invasora acuatica Ludwigia grandiflora (Spermatophyta, Onagraceae) en el marjal de Xeraco-Xeresa, un humedal al sur de la provincia de Valencia. Los hidrofitos aloctonos desempenan en ocasiones un papel primordial en la proliferacion descontrolada de poblaciones de mosquitos y, en consecuencia, tambien en la transmision y propagacion de muchas enfermedades emergentes y reemergentes transmitidas por estos dipteros. Teniendo en cuenta la situacion geografica de este humedal y los diferentes factores climaticos y biologicos, la aparicion de una epidemia del VNO con incidencia humana es un hecho mas que probable en esta vertiente mediterranea del pais EnglishThe close relationship between one of the main vectors of West Nile virus (WNV), Culex pipiens (Diptera, Culicidae), and invasive aquatic plant Ludwigia grandiflora (Spermatophyta, Onagraceae) is reported on Xeraco-Xeresa marsh, a wetland in the south of the province of Valencia. Allochthonous hydrophytes sometimes play a major role in the uncontrolled proliferation of culicid populations and, consequently, also in the transmission and spread of many emerging and re-emerging mosquito-borne diseases. Considering the location of the wetland and the different climatic and biological factors, the emergence of West Nile virus infection outbreak in humans is a fairly likely at this Mediterranean side of the country.

The sandfly Phlebotomus perniciosus is the most widespread vector of Leishmania infantum in Spain. Laboratory colonisation represents the most feasible source of information on the biology of these insects, but in conducting any study, the density of individuals in the colony may drop to such an extent that it is sometimes difficult to recover the initial population levels. A new technique was tested for the recovery of sandfly eggs in three different colonies; the recovery rate was studied by comparing the standard method of mass rearing with this new method of colony management. The results demonstrate a mean increase of 18.4% in adult production, a growth in colony productivity that justifies the inclusion of this process in the routine maintenance of any colony of sandflies.