Mosquitoes then and now : culicine mosquito research in and around Ndumo Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

The exceptional biodiversity of the Ndumo area and Maputaland in general, with its tropical biota, is reflected in the high diversity of culicine mosquitoes occurring in the area and, along with their vectors, a high diversity of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses). Research interest in the area was driven by the need to identify risks associated with the occurrence of arboviruses potentially affecting human and livestock health in the area, as well as the risk of introduction of arboviruses from elsewhere. We give an overview of the mosquito and arbovirus-related research that has taken place at Ndumo and elsewhere along the lower Phongolo River floodplain since the first expedition in 1955. Intensive work was done on mosquitoes and arboviruses for about 15 years, after which a period of 45 years saw only one focused mosquito study (1989-1993). More recently, interest was inspired once again by the threat of emerging and re-emerging arboviruses and we have been studying culicine mosquitoes and their associated viruses in the Ndumo area since 2016. We describe our recent findings with respect to occurrence and abundance of culicine mosquito species, compare them to historical findings, discuss possible reasons for apparent changes observed, and propose priorities for future research in the area.