Diversity and spatio-temporal distribution of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Laghouat arid region (Algerian northern Sahara)

ABSTRACT The study concerned the mosquitoes of the region of Laghouat (Septentrional Sahara of Algeria), for one year (December 2018 to November 2019). This study contributes to the identification and systematic determination of collected species. The surveyed sites are of rural, peri-urban, and urban types. The systematic study revealed the presence of fifteen species belonging to the Anophelinae and Culicinae subfamilies. Four registered genera were presented by Anopheles with 5 species identified for the first time; Aedes with (1 single species), Culex (7 species) and Culiseta (2 species). Culiseta longiareolata was the most abundant and frequent species with 633 individuals, followed by Culex theileri (403 individuals) and Anopheles sergentii sergentii (238 individuals). Concerning the bio-ecological aspect of the distribution of these species, the influence of 5 physicochemical parameters and other biotic parameters (aquatic vegetation, lodges) on the spatio-temporal distribution of the species revealed the existence of two groups of sites and species collected with a preference of the presence of all the species of the genus Anopheles in the saline waters (brackish), alkaline, less charged in MES, with a high level of DBO5 and rich in green algae.