Stand structure of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in farms and establishment of a new potential vector of West Nile Virus for Belgium

Many Diptera, spread across the globe are likely to play a role in the transmission of various human and animal diseases. Mosquitoes in particular, give rise to various countries on research increasingly expanded and deepened. To better understand the structure of the Culicidae at cattle farms in Belgium and identify habitats favorable to the development of each species, a taxonomic inventory was conducted in 2008 and 2009 in ten different sites. They fall into five natural regions: Condroz, Ardenne, Fagne-Famenne, Lorraine and Compine. The collection of mosquitoes is based on sampling of larvae in 13 biotopes such as water troughs, tires, abandoned utensils and temporary puddles or not. The results of the morphotaxonomic study of the mosquitoes collected in the different study sites show the presence of five species of Culicidae divided into three genera, Anopheles, Culex and Culiseta. Of the 1843 individuals examined in 2009, Culex pipiens represents 79.98% of the total harvest. A new species is reported for Belgium, Culex modestus Ficalbi, 1890. This species is one of the most important from an epidemiological and medical-veterinary entomology, given its role in the transmission of West Nile and myxomatosis viruses.