The characteristics of the most troublesome mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) in Poland

Elżbieta Wegner
2009 Fragmenta Faunistica  
Twelve of the 47 Polish mosquito species can pose serious health problems to man or at least heavy nuisance. They fly from breeding sites (where huge numbers can be produced) into houses and/or farm buildings transmitting severe human and animal diseases. Problematic ones are: A nopheles m essae and An. atroparvus, O chlerotatus communis, Oc. cataphylla, Oc. punctor, Oc. cantans, Oc. sticticus, A edes cinereus, Ae. vexans, C oquillettidia richiardii, C ulex pip ien s and C uliseta annulata. The
more » ... problems o f distribution, phenology under different climatic conditions, habitat requirements and preferences both o f larvae and adults, behaviour, fertility and vector competence o f all these species are analyzed. Most o f the species in the Temperate Zone produce more than one generation during the growing season or at least have several emergences. Only Oc. com munis and Oc. cataphylla are early spring univoltine species, although they can breed twice or more during the growing season when there are favourable conditions. Univoltine Oc. cantans, which can develop several times during a season, occurring in the breeding sites often together with multivoltine Oc. punctor. The period of their occurrence is usually much longer than that of Oc. com munis and Oc. cataphylla. Flood-water mosquitoes -Oc. sticticu s and both A edes species occur along river valleys and their larvae can breed in different pools situated in a variety of environments. C ulex pipiens, especially its form m olestus and C uliseta annulata can breed in natural and artificial ponds, even in heavily polluted water. Although mosquitoes are known to be competent vectors o f serious human and animal diseases, in Poland they are considered to cause nuisance only. Despite the fact that malaria was eradicated in Poland in 1960-s, at least two Polish anopheline species can still transmit the human malarial parasite very effectively. The remaining species (except for only one) described in the paper can transmit several arboviruses, while several species are vectors o f filariosis (Dirofilaria sp.).
doi:10.3161/00159301ff2009.52.2.157 fatcat:veix3rzcg5gingc7potun3tn5u