Parasitology Research (2015) 114, 289-295

Thomas Weitzel, Piotr Jawien, Katarzyna Rydzanicz, Elzbieta Lonc and Norbert Becker (2015)
Culex pipiens s.l. and Culex torrentium (Culicidae) in Wroclaw area (Poland): occurrence and breeding site preferences of mosquito vectors
Parasitology Research 114 (1), 289-295
Abstract: Both ornithophilic mosquito species, Culex pipiens s.l. (L.) and Culex torrentium (Martini, 1925), occur sympatric in temperate Europe. They are presumed to be primary vectors of West Nile and Sindbis viruses. Differentiation of these morphologically similar Culex species is essential for evaluation of different vector roles, for mosquito surveillance and integrated control strategies. Cx. torrentium has been neglected or erroneously determined as Cx. pipiens s.l. in some previous studies, because only males of both species can be diagnosed reliably by morphology. Thus, knowledge about species abundance, geographical distribution, breeding site preferences and the zoonotic risk assessment is incomplete also in Poland. In Wroclaw area (Silesian Lowland), besides typical urban breeding sites, huge sewage irrigation fields provide suitable breeding conditions for Culex species. They are also inhabited by 180 resident and migratory bird species serving as potential virus reservoirs. In this study, morphology of larvae and males as well as species diagnostic enzyme markers, namely adenylate kinase (AK) and 2-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBDH), were used to discriminate Cx. pipiens s.l. and Cx. torrentium. In a total of 650 Culex larvae from 24 natural and artificial breeding sites, Cx. pipiens s.l. had a proportion of 94.0 % and Cx. torrentium only 6.0 %. It could be shown that both species are well adapted to various breeding site types like ditches, catch basins, flower pots and buckets with diverse water quality. Cx. torrentium preferred more artificial water containers in urban surrounding (12 % species proportion), whereas in semi-natural breeding sites, Cx. torrentium was rare (3 %). In 12 of 24 breeding sites, larvae of both species have been found associated.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Norbert Becker

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Culex pipiens		Poland
	Culex torrentium		Poland