Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of the Brazilian semiarid: dynamic interactions with biotic and abiotic factors

Abstract

Mosquitoes are found worldwide; in Brazil, 530 species are distributed across all its biomes. Understanding of the biodiversity of the Caatinga biome remains incomplete, especially for Culicidae. We carried out a sampling of immature and adult mosquitoes in aquatic habitats and using Shannon traps in a seasonally dry tropical forest, in the semiarid of Rio Grande do Norte. A total of 1747 immatures of 13 species were collected during the study period (2017–2020) in groundwater sites, rock depressions, with and without vegetation, and tree holes. The maintenance of temporary breeding sites is related to the dry and rainy seasons. We collected 2132 adult mosquitoes of 12 species between 5 and 8 PM. Correlation analyses showed the effect of meteorological variables on Culicidae populations. Both immature and adult mosquitoes' abundance were significantly influenced by temperature and wind. The abundance of adult mosquitoes of the genera Aedes demonstrated a positive correlation with temperature, and a negative one with Mansonia and Uranotaenia. Our study adds information on the population dynamics of mosquitoes in the Brazilian semiarid, highlighting the bioecological relationships and breeding sites of species relevant to public health.