Diversity and Spatial Distribution of Mosquitoes (Culicidae) in Forest-Urban Transition Areas of an Atlantic Forest Fragment in Pernambuco, Brazil

The world is experiencing a biodiversity crisis as numerous regions witness massive deforestation in tropical ecosystems. This phenomenon is particularly acute in the Atlantic Forest. Forest edges, where humans, mosquitoes, and wildlife interact, can serve as a bridge for the exchange of zoonotic arboviruses. We aimed to identify mosquito species from an Atlantic Forest fragment in Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil, at the forest edge and in an area with artificial constructions. Mosquito collections were carried out biweekly from February to December 2016. Adult mosquitoes were collected using CDC traps and aspirators, while immature were collected using ovitraps and BR-OVT traps. A total of 8,972 eggs were captured by ovitraps and 168 rafts by BR-OVT traps. A total of 474 adult mosquitoes were collected by CDC traps and 268 by aspirators. Twenty-six different species were identified, all from the subfamily Culicinae, distributed in eight genera (Aedes, Aedeomyia, Culex, Coquillettidia, Limatus, Mansonia, Uranotaenia and Wyeomyia). The most abundant mosquito species in the collections were Cx. quinquefasciatus (69.8%) and Ae. albopictus (22.3%), two species linked to the transmission of arboviruses. Early identification of vector mosquitoes in remaining areas of Atlantic Forest with increasing urban development should be continuous, with a monitoring strategy to increase the effectiveness of control programs.