SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF Culex, Aedes AND Anopheles MOSQUITOES IN EGBEDA LGA, NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2026-1007-5007Keywords:
Mosquito Diversity, Vector-Borne Diseases, Culex pipiens Complex, Anopheles gambiae Sensu Lato, Peri-Urban, Egbeda, NigeriaAbstract
Locally resolved mosquito entomological baselines remain scarce in peri-urban southwestern Nigeria. This study quantified mosquito vector diversity, seasonal dynamics and the spatial signature of land use across eleven communities of Egbeda Local Government Area (LGA), Oyo State, over twelve months (May 2024 to April 2025). Larvae were sampled monthly using the standard dipping technique and reared to adulthood for morphological identification using the Afrotropical Anopheles key of Coetzee (2020) and the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit culicine keys. A total of 6,135 adult mosquitoes was recovered, comprising five operational taxonomic units in three genera: Culex quinquefasciatus (39.10%), the Culex pipiens complex sensu lato (9.85%), Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (23.94%), Aedes aegypti (22.54%) and Aedes albopictus (4.56%). Sibling species within the An. gambiae and Cx. pipiens complexes are reported at complex level pending molecular confirmation. Diversity was moderate (Shannon-Wiener H′ = 1.414; Pielou's J′ = 0.879) and deviated from evenness (χ² = 2,234.25; df = 4; p < 0.001). Species composition differed across sites (χ² = 168.4; df = 40; p < 0.001), with peri-urban communities supporting higher Culex and Aedes abundances and rural communities relatively higher Anopheles catches. Negative binomial regression identified August as the seasonal peak (1,208 individuals). Females accounted for 68.2% of the catch. Co-occurrence of competent vectors of malaria, lymphatic filariasis and Aedes-borne arboviruses indicates exposure to multiple disease risks. The findings establish a community-level entomological baseline and motivate season-aware integrated vector management, with molecular resolution and pathogen screening as priority next steps.
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