High Activity of Mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) in the South of Voronezh Province (Russia) in 2018: Causes and Sporadic Nature of the Event

Abstract

An exceptionally large-scale attack of mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) on people and domestic animals was observed in May 2018 in the southern areas of Voronezh Province (Russia). Aedes sticticus (Meigen, 1838) was the absolute dominant in the collections although it had been previously considered a rare mosquito species in the region. Abiotic factors, the frequency of mass attacks of bloodsucking dipterans under the regional conditions, and the possibility of their prediction are discussed.