What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to document the mosquito species present in Mérida Zoo and assess their potential health impacts.

January 6, 2026Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens0 citationsOpen Access

Entomological Survey of Mosquitoes in a Zoo in Mérida City, Southeastern México

JGJulián E. García-RejónAutonomous University of Yucatán CBCarlos M. Baak‐BaakAutonomous University of Yucatán ACAngel G. Canul-NavarreteAutonomous University of Yucatán

Key Points

This research aims to document the mosquito species present in Mérida Zoo and assess their potential health impacts.
Conducted 24 visits to capture adult and immature mosquitoes over 13 months.
Identified 12 mosquito species from five genera including Aedes and Culex.
Collected data on abundance and breeding sites for mosquito populations.
Captured 6601 adult mosquitoes, with Culex quinquefasciatus making up 80.84% of the catch.
Documented high species richness with ten species found in the aviary.
Identified significant public health risks due to the presence of disease-transmitting mosquitoes.

Abstract

The mosquito fauna was examined at the Mérida Zoological Park, a public site that is highly frequented and is a significant tourist attraction in the Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern México. Between January 2023 and February 2024, 24 visits were made to the zoo to capture adult and immature stages of mosquitoes. Overall, 12 species belonging to five genera (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Ochlerotatus, and Uranotaenia) were documented. A total of 6601 adult mosquitoes of 10 species were captured by aspiration. The adult population of Culex quinquefasciatus Say was the most abundant, accounting for 80.84% (n = 5336) of the collection, while Aedes aegypti Linnaeus represented 11.53% (n = 761). The aviary was the site with the highest capture abundance (n = 2414) and species richness (n = 10). Aedes aegypti was abundant in the zoo restroom (n = 331) and had a higher proportion of blood-feeding females. A total of 1090 larvae and 160 pupae of nine species were collected from 26 mosquito breeding sites, accounting for 25% of positive containers (26/104). Aedes albopictus was frequently found in the larval stage (n = 43) compared to the adult stage (n = 3). The presence of mosquitoes with the potential to transmit pathogens poses a public health risk to zoo visitors and staff.

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