Background:
Culicidae mosquitoes are main vectors of arboviruses that cause arboviral diseases in humans. Studies on fauna, ecology, biology, resting behaviors of
Culicidae mosquitoes are important and have great impact to control arboviral diseases that transmitted by vectors.Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine fauna of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and their habitats in Lorestan province, western Iran. Meanwhile
mosquito samples were examined for arbovirus infection.Materials and Methods: During 2015 and 2016, culicidae mosquitoes were collected from nine counties of Lorestan province, in 24 rural areas (human places, animal shelters, pit shelter and storehouses) by hand catch method (oral/electronic aspirator), total catch method, human and animal bait method and New Jersey light trap. The samples were
morphological identified on the genus and species and subsequently sent to Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (Hamburg, Germany) for arbovirus screening and
molecular taxonomy. Each individual
mosquito was homogenized and the RNA and DNA extracted using the procedure previously described. RNA extractions were treated to test for Arthropod-borne viruses (Arboviruses).Results: A total of 4211 adult
Culicidae mosquitoes and Ceratopogonidae biting midge were caught and collected, of which 3987 (94.68%) were Culex, 201 (4.77%) were Anopheles, 2 (0.047%) were Aedes, 16 (0.38%) were Culiseta, 3 (0.07%) were Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogoindae) and 2 (0.047%) were Uranotaenia. Six species of Culex (Cx. theileri (3674), Cx. pipiens complex (243), Cx. perexiguus (64), Cx. hortensis (3), Cx. quinquefasciatus (1) and Cx. tritaeniorthyncus (2), and eight species of Anopheles (An. superpictus (111), An. sacharovi (57), An. maculipennis (6), An. stephensi (14), An. dthali (6), An. fluviatilis (5), An. claviger (1), and An. apoci (1)), were caught. One complex species (Cx. pipiens complex) and a hybrid between Cx. pipiens pipiens biotype pipiens and Cx. pipiens pipiens biotype molestus were identified. For the first time ever in Lorestan province, one species of Culiseta, Cs. annulata (1), and one species of Uranotaenia (Ur. unguiculata) (2) were caught. Arboviruses were not detected in samples Conclusion: Results of the present study indicates that the Culex genus is the dominant in Lorestan province, western Iran