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Biology, Ecology and Management of Mosquitoes Affecting Humans and Animals—2nd...
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Biology, Ecology and Management of Mosquitoes Affecting Humans and Animals—2nd Edition

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical and Livestock Entomology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 3736

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Athanasios Giatropoulos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Efficacy Control of Pesticides, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 St. Delta str., 14561 Kifissia, Attica, Greece
Interests: mosquitoes; mosquito surveillance; mosquito bio-ecology; competitive interactions; natural products; essential oils; insecticides; repellents
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mosquitoes pose a serious threat to human and animal health, as vectors of many major diseases, such as malaria, dengue, West Nile virus, yellow fever, encephalitis and filariasis. Climate warming, urbanization, and increased global travel and trade have raised the geographical spread of invasive mosquito species and associated mosquito-borne diseases. Hence, the successful management of mosquitoes requires not only an integrated mosquito management strategy, in which all appropriate methods for control are used, but also knowledge of the biology and ecology of the target organisms.

After the success of the earlier Special Issue “Biology, Ecology and Management of Mosquitoes Affecting Humans and Animals”, we are pleased to launch a Second Edition of this Special Issue, and we welcome submissions of laboratory and field studies on mosquito bio-ecology, including the life-cycle characteristics, competitive interactions and distribution of mosquito species, as well as integrated mosquito management tools, including surveillance methods, insecticides, repellents, attractants, botanicals, microbials, biological control agents, nanotechnology, sterile insect techniques and insecticide resistance management. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following: medical and veterinary entomology, applied entomology, parasitology, mosquito bio-ecology and mosquito control.

Dr. Athanasios Giatropoulos
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mosquito bio-ecology
  • competition
  • mosquito surveillance
  • mosquito control
  • insecticides
  • repellents
  • insecticide resistance

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2670 KB  
Article
Liu-pao Tea as a Source of Botanical Oviposition Attractants for Aedes Mosquitoes
by Li-Hua Xie, Tong Liu, Wen-Qiang Yang, Yu-Gu Xie, Si-Yu Zhao and Xiao-Guang Chen
Insects 2025, 16(10), 1065; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16101065 - 17 Oct 2025
Abstract
Oviposition attractants can enhance both the surveillance and control of container-breeding Aedes mosquitoes. Although green tea has been reported to attract Ae. aegypti, the specific bioactive botanical compounds responsible remain unidentified. We evaluated teas across fermentation stages (non-fermented, fully fermented, and post-fermented) [...] Read more.
Oviposition attractants can enhance both the surveillance and control of container-breeding Aedes mosquitoes. Although green tea has been reported to attract Ae. aegypti, the specific bioactive botanical compounds responsible remain unidentified. We evaluated teas across fermentation stages (non-fermented, fully fermented, and post-fermented) at 5 g/L for gravid Ae. albopictus using dual-choice assays. The most attractive tea (Liu-pao) was further tested across concentrations (0.5–5 g/L) and infusion ages (1–28 days). Autoclaved vs. non-autoclaved infusions assessed microbial contributions, while headspace volatiles were analyzed via HS-SPME-GC-MS. Individual compounds (cedrol and linalool oxide) were bioassayed. Only Liu-pao tea consistently attracted Ae. albopictus (OAI ≥ 0.3), peaking at 5 g/L after 7–14 days (OAIs 0.73/0.67). A 0.5 g/L infusion aged 21–28 days also attracted Ae. aegypti (OAIs 0.89/0.63). Autoclaving did not reduce attraction, confirming volatile compounds, not live microbe-mediated effects. Cedrol (1 mg/L) elicited moderate attraction (OAI 0.29) in Ae. albopictus, while linalool oxide was inactive. Post-fermented Liu-pao tea acts as a potent botanical attractant for Aedes mosquitoes. Cedrol contributes partially, but whole tea infusions outperform single compounds. These findings support developing multi-volatile “attract-and-kill” strategies targeting gravid mosquitoes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology, Ecology and Management of Mosquitoes Affecting Humans and Animals—2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 2101 KB  
Article
Culicidae Fauna (Diptera: Culicomorpha) of the Municipality of Mazagão, Amapá, in the Brazilian Amazon
by Rafael Espíndola do Nascimento, Daniel Damous Dias, Bruna Lais Sena do Nascimento, Tiago Silva da Costa, Raimundo Nonato Picanço Souto, Livia Medeiros Neves Casseb, Joaquim Pinto Nunes Neto and Valeria Lima Carvalho
Insects 2025, 16(10), 1036; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16101036 - 9 Oct 2025
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Abstract
The Amazon hosts one of the richest diversities of mosquitoes in the family Culicidae, which are key both as arbovirus vectors and as environmental bioindicators. However, the state of Amapá remains poorly studied regarding its mosquito fauna. This study aimed to characterize the [...] Read more.
The Amazon hosts one of the richest diversities of mosquitoes in the family Culicidae, which are key both as arbovirus vectors and as environmental bioindicators. However, the state of Amapá remains poorly studied regarding its mosquito fauna. This study aimed to characterize the diversity and seasonal composition of Culicidae in the municipality of Mazagão, Eastern Amazon, within a rural landscape influenced by human activity and extreme climatic events. Three sampling campaigns were conducted between 2023 and 2024, covering rainy, intermediary, and dry periods. Mosquitoes were collected using Protected Human Attraction (PHA) and CDC light traps at both ground and canopy strata. A total of 3500 specimens were obtained, representing 38 species across 15 genera. The intermediary period yielded the highest abundance and richness, whereas the dry season presented very low diversity, probably because of severe drought and forest fires. Dominant species included Coquillettidia (Rhy.) venezuelensis, Cq. albicosta, and Mansonia titillans. There were significant differences in community diversity between dry and wetter periods, underscoring the strong role of seasonality in shaping mosquito populations. These findings represent the entomofaunistic survey of the region, contributing to biodiversity knowledge and highlighting potential public health risks, thus reinforcing the need for continuous entomological monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology, Ecology and Management of Mosquitoes Affecting Humans and Animals—2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 7293 KB  
Article
Distribution of Larval Habitats and Efficiency of Various Trap Settings to Monitor Sympatric Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti in La Reunion
by Caroline Vitry, Ronan Brouazin, Anthony Herbin, Mathieu Whiteside, Cécile Brengues, Thierry Baldet, Renaud Lancelot and Jérémy Bouyer
Insects 2025, 16(9), 932; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16090932 - 4 Sep 2025
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Abstract
To prepare for a boosted sterile insect technique (SIT) field trial in Saint-Joseph, Reunion island, we compared the attractiveness of two adult mosquito traps for Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. In addition, we explored the co-occurrence of these species in their usual [...] Read more.
To prepare for a boosted sterile insect technique (SIT) field trial in Saint-Joseph, Reunion island, we compared the attractiveness of two adult mosquito traps for Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. In addition, we explored the co-occurrence of these species in their usual larval habitats. Two traps were compared with two conditions each using a Latin square design: BG Sentinel trap baited with carbon dioxide (CO2) with/without addition of BG Lure and ovi-sticky trap with/without hay. The ovi-sticky traps proved ineffective. For both Aedes species, CO2-baited traps were equally effective at catching females when baited with the lure or not. In contrast, they were more attractive to males than for females with the lure. Aedes aegypti larvae were found in four of six vacoas (Pandanus utilis), and one of four anthropogenic breeding sites. In vacoas, the densities of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti larvae were negatively correlated, whereas the correlation was positive between chironomids and Aedes aegypti. The abundance of adults and larvae varied according to weather conditions. Finally, CO2-baited traps were used without lure for the entomological monitoring to assess the effectiveness of the area-wide boosted SIT intervention to reduce costs and logistics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology, Ecology and Management of Mosquitoes Affecting Humans and Animals—2nd Edition)
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27 pages, 3651 KB  
Article
Integrating Citizen Science and Field Sampling into Next-Generation Early-Warning Systems for Vector Surveillance: Twenty Years of Municipal Detections of Aedes Invasive Mosquito Species in Spain
by Roger Eritja, Isis Sanpera-Calbet, Sarah Delacour-Estrella, Ignacio Ruiz-Arrondo, Maria Àngels Puig, Mikel Bengoa-Paulís, Pedro María Alarcón-Elbal, Carlos Barceló, Simone Mariani, Yasmina Martínez-Barciela, Daniel Bravo-Barriga, Alejandro Polina, José Manuel Pereira-Martínez, Mikel Alexander González, Santi Escartin, Rosario Melero-Alcíbar, Laura Blanco-Sierra, Sergio Magallanes, Francisco Collantes, Martina Ferraguti, María Isabel González-Pérez, Rafael Gutiérrez-López, María Isabel Silva-Torres, Olatz San Sebastián-Mendoza, María Cruz Calvo-Reyes, Marian Mendoza-García, David Macías-Magro, Pilar Cisneros, Aitor Cevidanes, Eva Frontera, Inés Mato, Fernando Fúster-Lorán, Miguel Domench-Guembe, María Elena Rodríguez-Regadera, Ricard Casanovas-Urgell, Tomás Montalvo, Miguel Ángel Miranda, Jordi Figuerola, Javier Lucientes-Curdi, Joan Garriga, John Rossman Bertholf Palmer and Frederic Bartumeusadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Insects 2025, 16(9), 904; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16090904 - 29 Aug 2025
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Abstract
The spread of the invasive mosquitoes Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, and Aedes japonicus in Spain represents an increasing public health risk due to their capacity to transmit arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, among others. Traditional field entomological surveillance remains [...] Read more.
The spread of the invasive mosquitoes Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, and Aedes japonicus in Spain represents an increasing public health risk due to their capacity to transmit arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, among others. Traditional field entomological surveillance remains essential for tracking their spread, but it faces limitations in terms of cost, scalability, and labor intensity. Since 2014, the Mosquito Alert citizen-science project has enabled public participation in surveillance through the submission of geolocated images via a mobile app, which are identified using AI in combination with expert validation. While field surveillance provides high accuracy, citizen science offers low-cost, large-scale, real-time data collection aligned with open data management principles. It is particularly useful for detecting long-distance dispersal events and has contributed up to one-third of the municipal detections of invasive mosquito species since 2014. This study assesses the value of integrating both surveillance systems to capitalize on their complementary strengths while compensating for their weaknesses in the areas of taxonomic accuracy, scalability, spatial detection patterns, data curation and validation systems, geographic precision, interoperability, and real-time output. We present the listing of municipal detections of these species from 2004 to 2024, integrating data from both sources. Spain’s integrated approach demonstrates a pioneering model for cost-effective, scalable vector surveillance tailored to the dynamics of invasive species and emerging epidemiological threats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology, Ecology and Management of Mosquitoes Affecting Humans and Animals—2nd Edition)
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