First confirmed records of the invasive and epidemiologically significant mosquito species Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Southern Ukraine

Abstract

This article reports the first confirmed records of the invasive and epidemiologically significant mosquito species Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) (Diptera: Culicidae) in southern Ukraine, namely within the city of Odesa and its environs. This species is currently the only representative of the subgenus Stegomyia Theobald, 1901 recorded in Ukraine, which makes its discovery in the southern region of the country particularly mportant in the field of national entomology and epidemiology, as well as a significant vent for the study of biodiversity and epidemiological safety in Ukraine. When conducting monitoring studies in the warm period of 2023, we recorded the beginning of the invasion of the exotic for the territory of Ukraine species of blood-sucking mosquitoes A. albopictus. Eleven locations with the presence of reproducing populations of the species A. albopictus were identified: ten are located within the administrative districts of Odesa, and one in the village of Tairove, north of the city. The total number of specimens caught during the 2023 research season was 228 individuals (137 larvae and 91 adults). The detection of reproductive populations of A. albopictus in Odesa and its surroundings clearly demonstrates the species’ adaptive potential and the onset of its expansion in southern Ukraine. The appearance of A. albopictus in the studied area indicates active ecological and climatic changes that may lead to the invasion of other species that may pose a threat to biodiversity and epidemiological security in the southern region of our country. The detection of dense foci of A. albopictus near the port infrastructure in Odesa indicates that the species was introduced through the sea port, and the presence of larval stages in remote areas of the city indicates further dispersal and successful acclimatisation under the conditions of the south of Ukraine. The detection of the epidemiologically dangerous species A. albopictus and the high risk of further spread of its population within southern Ukraine and to other climatically favourable regions of the country, requires urgent development and implementation of a comprehensive system of control and preventive epidemiological measures, particularly in urbanised areas and near transport hubs.