Species Composition of Mosquitoes in Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract

Many maladies, such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, and filariasis, are transmitted by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are dipteran insects of family Culicidae within Phylum Arthropoda. This insect has cosmopolitan distribution. Herein we have investigated the species composition of mosquito fauna in Margalla Hills National Park during 2022-23. Adults, pupae, and larvae of mosquitoes were collected from multiple sampling sites in the study area. Dip net was used for the collection of immature stages. The adult were collected using sweep nets and aspirators. The obtained specimens were mounted on entomological pins after the collection and killing of adult mosquitoes. Representative specimens of each mosquito species were attached to a miniature platform via the thorax. Utilizing standard taxonomic keys, adult mosquitoes were identified. During the course of present study, a total of eleven species; Anopheles stephensi Liston, Anopheles maculatus Theobald Armigeres subalbatus Coquillett, Armigeres kuchingensis Edwards, Aedes aegypti Linnaeus, Aedes albopictus Skuses, Aedes vittatus Bigot, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, Culex theileri Theobald, Lutzia raptor Edwards and Mansonia uniformis Theobald, were identified. The scientific names, synonyms, habitat description, and body measurements of collected specimens were provided alongside their collection dates. Current study would provide basic information for Government agencies and policy makers in the management of different mosquito vectors in Pakistan.