Wolbachia infection in West Nile Virus vectors of northwest Iran

Mosquito-borne viral diseases are serious health problems in many countries. Various methods have been used for controlling the vectors of these diseases. Among symbiotic bacteria, the members of the genus Wolbachia are the most ubiquitous symbionts of arthropods and play key roles in their host biological characteristics with various effects on their hosts. The identification of these bacteria in Iranian mosquitoes is limited to a few studies. The current study was carried out to determine (1) the Wolbachia infection of probable arbovirus vectors (Aedes caspius, Culex pipiens, Culex theileri and Culiseta longiareolata), (2) the Wolbachia strain(s) infecting the mosquitoes, and (3) the geographical distribution of the Wolbachia strain(s) in the northwest of Iran. Eight species including Ae. caspius, Anopheles hyrcanus, An. maculipennis, Cx. hortensis, Cx. modestus, Cx. pipiens, Cx. theileri, and Cs. longiareolata were identified, amongst which Ae. caspius with 63.1% and An. hyrcanus with 0.3% were the most and the least abundant species, respectively. The results of semi-nested PCR using Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) fragment assays showed that Wolbachia infection was present in three out of the four above mentioned arboviral vector species (Aedes caspius, Culex pipiens, Culex theileri and Culiseta longiareolata), where the highest infection rate was seen in Cx. pipiens. The infection rates of mosquitoes with Wolbachia in the species of Cx. pipiens, Cs. longiareolata, Cx. theileri, and Ae. caspius were 96.9%, 11.5%, 5.2% and 0%, respectively.

     

Daily and seasonal variation in the activity of potential vector mosquitoes

In the course of season 2010 (May–September), three 2-day trappings of female mosquitoes were carried out at two sites in order to determine the daily activity of the common mosquito species (e.g. species from genus Culex, Aedes, Ochlerotatus, Anopheles, etc.) in the area. CDC light traps filled with CO₂ and placed at a height of 1 m were used to trap individuals, and were sampled every 2 h. A total of 19,604 female mosquitoes from 20 identifiable species were trapped: 7,549 at Sedlec and 12,055 at Kančí obora. The activity of the major species of mosquitoes in South Moravia differed throughout the course of the day. Calamity species of the genus Aedes and Ochlerotatus remained active throughout the day and night, but with different course. Aedes vexans, Ae. cinereus, and Ae. rossicus were most active in the late afternoon and highly active for most of the night. Ochlerotatus sticticus was captured most often in the afternoon, and its abundance decreased rapidly before sunset. The activity of Oc. cantans s.l. (Oc. cantans + Oc. annulipes) females varied little during the day and night. The daily activity for the main vectors of West Nile virus, Culex pipiens and Cx. modestus, were totally different from that of other species. Cx. pipiens females showed significant night activity, while Cx. modestus was most active in the evening. Nighttime activity was also observed in female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles.     

Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) fauna in an area endemic for West Nile virus

Mosquito collections with CDC light traps using dry ice and pigeon‐baited traps were carried out in south Moravia (Czech Republic) from April to October in 2007 and 2008 at two study sites. In 2007, 11 two‐day captures were carried out in two‐week intervals, and 1,490 female mosquitoes of nine species were caught. In 2008, 15 two‐day trappings of mosquitoes were carried out: 6,778 females of 22 species of mosquitoes were trapped. The results showed marked differences in abundance and species composition of mosquitoes between both study sites and between the trapping methods. In the floodplain forest ecosystem of the Soutok study area, Aedes vexans predominated. The species composition in the Nesyt study site was more varied and the most common species was Culex pipiens. At the latter study site, Anopheles hyrcanus (var. pseudopictus) and Uranotaenia unguiculata, mosquito species with largely southern Eurasian distribution, were repeatedly demonstrated. The largest capture of mosquitoes was in traps with CO₂ placed at a height 1 m above the ground. The capture of mosquitoes in the pigeon‐baited traps as well as in the traps with CO₂ placed in the canopy of trees was markedly lower in both study sites, with the predominant species being Culex pipiens.     

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of the Lower Dyje River Basin (Podyjí) at the Czech-Austrian border

During 2009–2011, mosquitoes were captured in CDC miniature light traps using CO₂ (dry ice) at six sites in the Lower Dyje River Basin (Czech Republic). Other methods of capture — sweeping from vegetation and collection of larvae and pupae from ponds — were also used for more precise diagnostics. Thirty mosquito species of six genera were confirmed. A total of 415,218 females were captured. Most frequently found were the outbreak species Aedes vexans (56.52% of all mosquitoes collected) and Ae. sticticus (16.40%). Among other flood species, Ae. rossicus (5.17%), Ae. cantans and Ae. annulipes (2.44% of all females collected), and Ae. cinereus s. l. (1.11%) were especially abundant. Females of Ae. cataphylla were captured in spring (0.31%) and Ae. intrudens was numerous only at one site. Among the other species, Culex pipiens s. l. (6.61%) and Cx. modestus (8.87%) were abundant. Anopheles maculipennis s. l. (1.01%), An. claviger (0.43%), An. plumbeus (0.08%), An. hyrcanus (0.08%), Coquillettidia richiardii (0.52%) and Culiseta annulata (0.18%) were also detected. Sparsely occurring were Ae. excrucians, Ae. flavescens, Ae. caspius and Ae. geniculatus. Captured only very sporadically were Ae. communis, Ae. leucomelas, Ae. dorsalis, Ae. rusticus, Cx. martinii, Cx. territans, Cs. morsitans and Uranotaenia unguiculata.     

Increased presence of the thermophilic mosquitoes and potential vectors Anopheles hyrcanus (Pallas 1771) and Culex modestus Ficalbi 1889 in Central Europe’s lower Dyje River basin (South Moravia,Czech Republic)

The presence of the thermophilic species Anopheles hyrcanus in the lower Dyje River basin has been regularly monitored since 2008. Mosquito trapping has been conducted mainly in summer using EVS traps with CO₂ as attractant. Anopheles hyrcanus and Culex modestus were studied in a group of ponds near the Czech–Austrian border. At the Sedlec location, occurrence of An. hyrcanus was low during 2008–2011, with around 1–9 individuals/trap/collection day. At the Lednice location on the edge of Mlýnský Pond, the first capture of An. hyrcanus occurred in 2010. In 2013, there was a sudden increase in the An. hyrcanus mosquito at all monitored locations. The largest presence was recorded at Sedlec and reached 524.4 individuals/trap/collection day. Culex modestus was one of the predominant species throughout the period. At Sedlec, the smallest finding was in 2009 (at 9.6 individuals) while the greatest was in 2010 (at 988.6 individuals/trap/collection day). At Lednice, the smallest finding was in 2011 (at 56.3 individuals) while the largest was in 2013 (at 3850 individuals/trap/collection day).     

Trapping biases of Culex torrentium and Culex pipiens revealed by comparison of captures in CDC traps,ovitraps, and gravid traps

We evaluate three trapping methods for their effectiveness at capturing Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium, both enzootic vectors of bird‐associated viruses in Europe. The comparisons, performed in two regions in Sweden, were among CDC traps baited with carbon dioxide, gravid traps, and ovitraps baited with hay infusion. The proportions of the two Culex species in a catch differed between trap types, with CDC traps catching a lower proportion of Cx. torrentium than both gravid traps and ovitraps. Between gravid traps and ovitraps, there was no difference in the proportions of the two species. The results indicate that Cx. torrentium may go undetected or underestimated compared to Cx. pipiens when using carbon dioxide baited CDC traps. The new insight of trap bias presented here adds an important dimension to consider when investigating these vectors of bird‐associated viruses in the field.     

Larvicidal activity of some fungal extracts on Aedes caspius and Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae)

A preliminary study was conducted to evaluate the effects of nine methanol fungal extracts on fourth instar larvae of Aedes caspius and Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae). None of the extracts tested showed larvicidal activity except for the Paecilomyces lilacinus extract, which showed 100 % mortality against the larvae of Ae caspius after 24 h. The LC₅₀ values of the P. lilacinus extract after 24 h were 190.66 μg/mL against Ae. caspius and 254.25 μg/mL against Cx. pipiens, respectively. After 48 h, meanwhile, the LC₅₀ values were 65.70 and 164.13 μg/mL, respectively. Histological analysis of the midgut of the treated larvae of Ae. caspius and Cx. pipiens revealed changes such as cell destruction, spacing between the cells and disruption of the microvilli, resulting in an appearance of vacuolization in the midgut. This article is the first report of the use of P. lilacinus extract for the control of Ae. caspius and Cx. pipiens larvae and the data obtained may help to provide a better understanding of the mode of action of P. lilacinus as an insecticide against mosquito larvae.     

Seasonal dynamics of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Osijek (Croatia) for the period 1995–2004

The ten year research (1995–2004) of adult mosquitoes in the area of Osijek by dry ice baited CDC traps has provided significant information on mosquito species, species prevalence, their dynamics and seasonal activity. A total of 207,136 adult mosquitoes comprising twenty species belonging to the following genera: Anopheles, Ochlerotatus, Aedes, Culex, Coquillettidia, Culiseta and Uranotaenia were collected. The seven most common species collected during this study were: Aedes vexans (75.6%), Ochlerotatus sticticus (13.3%), Culex pipiens complex (5.9%), Anopheles maculipennis complex (1.9%), Oc. cantans (0.9%), Oc. caspius (0.6%) and Oc. excrucians (0.6%). The temporal changes in the relative abundance of the twenty mosquito species in the Osijek area were reflected in three peaks: in May, July and September. Seasonal population dynamics differed between years and between mosquito species in relation to wetland, urban and forest habitats and was influenced by water level of the Drava and the Danube rivers.     

Seasonal prevalence of mosquitoes collected from light traps in the Republic of Korea in 2003

Surveillance of adult mosquitoes was conducted at 29 US military installations and training sites in six provinces in the Republic of Korea during 2003. Adult mosquitoes were collected in New Jersey light traps and dry ice‐baited New Jersey light traps from 1 May to 15 October. Mosquito surveillance was conducted to determine threshold levels to initiate pesticide applications and identify malaria infection rates at selected army installations and training sites. A total of 42 024 adult mosquitoes (32 594 females [77.6%] and 9430 males [22. 4%]) comprising 14 species and Anopheles sinensis s.l. (a complex of five species), representing seven genera, were collected. The most common species were members of the Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann complex (54.9%), followed by Aedes vexans nipponii (Theobald) (19.0%), Culex pipiens Coquillett (14.3%) and Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles (10.6%). Trap indices varied widely for species over their range, due in part to geographical distribution and degree of association with urban communities.     

Experimental logging alters the abundance and community composition of ovipositing mosquitoes in the southern Appalachians

1. The loss of intact forest via logging can influence vector‐borne disease dynamics in part by altering the abundance or diversity of mosquito species. Using an experimental field approach, we characterised how two types of logging (clearcut and repeat‐entry shelterwood) affected temperate forest mosquito abundance and diversity in southwestern Virginia. 2.From May to September in 2008–2010, infusion‐baited gravid traps were used to collect ovipositing female mosquitoes across experimental forest plots that varied in logging treatment. Of the 29 680 collected adult female mosquitoes, the three dominant taxa captured were Aedes triseriatus (55%), Aedes japonicus (21%), and Culex pipiens/restuans (20%). 3. Logging treatment had a significant effect on the overall number of female mosquitoes caught per trap night, with lower average abundance of females on both logged treatments relative to two types of unlogged, control plots. When the three most abundant mosquito species were examined separately, logging treatment significantly influenced the abundance of both Aedes species, but did not significantly affect C. pipiens/restuans abundance. 4. Logging treatment did not influence the richness or diversity of mosquito species captured in gravid traps. However, logging treatment significantly altered the multivariate community composition of captured mosquitoes, an effect probably mediated by differential species‐specific impacts of logging on abundance. 5. Overall, the results of the present study suggest that the risk of arboviruses transmitted by container‐breeding Aedes species may be lower following a logging event in Appalachian forests because of reduced A. japonicus and A. triseriatus abundance with logging.     

Ecological Niche Modelling of Potential West Nile Virus Vector Mosquito Species and Their Geographical Association with Equine Epizootics in Italy

In Italy, West Nile virus (WNV) equine outbreaks have occurred annually since 2008. Characterizing WNV vector habitat requirements allows for the identification of areas at risk of viral amplification and transmission. Maxent-based ecological niche models were developed using literature records of 13 potential WNV Italian vector mosquito species to predict their habitat suitability range and to investigate possible geographical associations with WNV equine outbreak occurrence in Italy from 2008 to 2010. The contribution of different environmental variables to the niche models was also assessed. Suitable habitats for Culex pipiens, Aedes albopictus, and Anopheles maculipennis were widely distributed; Culex modestus, Ochlerotatus geniculatus, Ochlerotatus caspius, Coquillettidia richiardii, Aedes vexans, and Anopheles plumbeus were concentrated in north-central Italy; Aedes cinereus, Culex theileri, Ochlerotatus dorsalis, and Culiseta longiareolata were restricted to coastal/southern areas. Elevation, temperature, and precipitation variables showed the highest predictive power. Host population and landscape variables provided minor contributions. WNV equine outbreaks had a significantly higher probability to occur in habitats suitable for Cx. modestus and Cx. pipiens, providing circumstantial evidence that the potential distribution of these two species coincides geographically with the observed distribution of the disease in equines.     

The use of traps in sampling mosquito populations

Mosquito populations in southern England were sampled by animal baited, carbon dioxide and light traps. Cylindrical traps baited with rabbits caught both zoophilous and ornithophilous species, but very few individuals were caught when they were baited with chickens. Direct bait catches, however, showed that ornithophilous species were not attracted to rabbits outside traps. Many more species were caught in Trinidad traps baited with dry ice than in cylindrical traps. A New Jersey light trap caught unfed females and males of a few species, many common species were not attracted to light.

---

Zusammenfassung In Trinidad-Fallen, die mit Labor-Mäusen beködert auf der Insel Brownsea in Südengland aufgestellt waren, wurden nur sehr wenige Aedes detritus und Mansonia richiardii gefangen. Zylindrische, mit Kaninchen beköderte Metallfallen fingen erwachsene Anopheles plumbeus, Ae. cinereus, Ae. punctor, Ae. detritus, Culiseta annulata, C. torrentium, M. richiardii und auch C. morsitans und C. pipiens, obwohl sie hauptsächlich Vogelparasiten sind. Außerhalb der Fallen wurden Kaninchen von M. richiardii und Aedes-Arten gestochen aber nicht von ornithophilen Arten. In Fallen, die mit Hühnchen beködert waren, wurden nur sehr wenige C. morsitans und C. pipiens gefangen, und keine versuchten die Hühnchen außerhalb der Fallen zu stechen. Mit Trockeneis beköderte Trinidad- und Zylinder-Fallen fingen Ae. punctor, Ae. detritus, Ae. cantans, Ae. annulata, C. morsitans, C. pipiens und M. richiardii, dazu wurden in Trinidad-Fallen A. plumbeus, A. claviger und Ae. geniculatus gefangen. Sie fingen mehr als die zylindrischen Fallen.Eine New Jersey-Lichtfalle fing 12 Mückenarten, am häufigsten Ae. detritus. Nüchterne Weibchen herrschten vor, Männchen bildeten nur einen geringen Prozentsatz des Fanges.

     

The distribution of mosquitoes across an altitudinal gradient in the Galapagos Islands

An avian malaria parasite (genus Plasmodium) has been detected consistently in the Galapagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) and less frequently in some passerines. We sampled three resident mosquito species (Aedes taeniorhynchus, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Aedes aegypti) using CDC light and gravid traps on three islands in 2012, 2013, and 2014. We sampled along altitudinal gradients to ask whether there are mosquito‐free refugia at higher elevations as there are in Hawaii. We captured both Ae. taeniorhynchus and Cx. quinquefasciatus at all sites. However, abundances differed across islands and years and declined significantly with elevation. Aedes aegypti were scarce and limited to areas of human inhabitation. These results were corroborated by two negative binomial regression models which found altitude, year, trap type, and island as categorized by human inhabitation to be significant factors influencing the distributions of both Ae. taeniorhynchus and Cx. quinquefasciatus. Annual differences at the highest altitudes in Isabela and Santa Cruz indicate the lack of a stable highland refuge if either species is found to be a major vector of a parasite, such as avian malaria in Galapagos. Further work is needed to confirm the vector potential of both species to understand the disease dynamics of avian malaria in Galapagos.     

Successional mosquito dynamics in surrogate treehole and ground‐container habitats in the northeastern United States: Where does Aedes albopictus fit in?

This study assessed the risk of larval displacement of the eastern treehole mosquito, Aedes triseriatus, and the northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens, by Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, during the establishment and successional stages of novel larval mosquito treehole and ground‐container habitats in the state of New Jersey, U.S.A. Culex pipiens and Culex restuans were the first mosquito species to colonize ground‐container habitats and were the dominant larval species throughout the study period, whereas Ae. albopictus was late to colonize ground habitats and accounted for less than 15% of weekly larval collections once established. Ae. albopictus had a much stronger community presence within treehole ovitraps; however, Ae. albopictus never reached the average larval densities of the expected primary colonizer, Ae. triseriatus. Throughout the study period, the weekly abundances of Ae. triseriatus and Ae. albopictus were positively correlated and there were no significant differences between the abundances of each species. The larval dominance of Ae. triseriatus appears to be enhanced by the presence of Toxorhynchites rutilus septentrionalis, a large predatory mosquito species. When Tx. rut. septentrionalis was present, mature larvae (3^rd–4^th instar) of Ae. albopictus were also present in only 16.7% of collections, whereas mature larvae of Ae. triseriatus were collected concurrently with Tx. rut. septentrionalis in 53.8% of collections. These data suggest that Ae. triseriatus is at a greater risk of displacement by Ae. albopictus than are Cx. pipiens and Cx. restuans.     

Evaluation of collection methods for Culex quinquefasciatus,Aedes aegypti,and Aedes simpsoni in northeastern Tanzania

In East Africa, significant morbidity and mortality are caused by infections spread by Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti. Sticky traps have been shown to be effective tools for sampling populations of Aedes mosquitoes and have been found to catch Cx. quinquefasciatus. Thus, they could potentially be used to sample populations of this species. This study compared Sticky ovitraps (SO) and MosquiTraps (MQT) with the CDC Gravid trap (CDC‐GT) for collection of Culex and Aedes mosquito populations in Tanzania. A follow‐up experiment was carried out using traps set for a 24‐h period to accommodate the oviposition habits of Aedes aegypti and Ae. simpsoni s.l. mosquitoes. The results showed that the CDC‐GT caught significantly more Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti than the SO or MQT, but there was no significant difference in the number of mosquitoes caught between the two sticky traps or of Ae. simpsoni s.l. caught among the three trap types. The results suggest that CDC‐GTs are the most appropriate in sampling of Cx. quinquefasciatus. Although CDC‐GTs collected more Ae. aegypti than the sticky traps, the simplicity and cost benefit of sticky traps facilitates large scale studies. All three trap types should be considered for monitoring Aedes mosquitoes.     

Comparison of the efficacy of CO2‐baited and unbaited light traps,gravid traps,backpack aspirators,and sweep net collections for sampling mosquitoes infected with Japanese encephalitis virus

Two field studies were conducted to determine the efficacy of mosquito collection methods for species composition, species abundance, and Japanese encephalitis virus infection rates in Taiwan. Traps evaluated included John W. Hock (JH) model UD black light traps, JH model 1012 new standard miniature CDC light traps, JH model 1712 CDC gravid traps, and Taiwan‐made Pest‐O‐Lite light traps. Backpack aspirators and sweep nets were also used to collect the resting population. Culex tritaeniorhynchus in all studies and Mansonia uniformis in the Taipei areas were the two most abundance species collected. Dry ice‐baited UD black light traps were effective in regard to species diversity, species abundance, and Japanese encephalitis virus infection rates. The unbaited Pest‐O‐Lite light traps collected significantly more female mosquitoes than the UD black light traps but performed similarly with regard to species diversity and male mosquito collection. Most mosquitoes collected by Pest‐O‐Lite light traps were dried and not suitable for virus detection. Dry ice‐baited CDC light traps collected significantly fewer mosquitoes than other light traps. Although CO₂‐baited UD black light traps with octenol attracted more mosquitoes, no statistical significance was found compared to CO₂‐baited UD black light traps without octenol. Japanese encephalitis viruses were isolated from half of the positive pools in UD black light traps and CDC light traps.     

Isolation of spore-forming bacilli from mosquitoes in natural breeding habitats in Iraq

New isolates of spore-forming bacilli from larvae and pupae of 3 species of mosquitoes are recorded in central Iraq.Bacillus sphaericus Meyer and Neide was isolated fromCulex pipiens (L.) larva.Bacillus carotarum Koch andBacillus cereus Frankland & Frankland were isolated fromTheobaldia longiareolata (Macquart) pupae.Bacillus laterosporus Laubach andBacillus thuringiensis (H 18) were isolated fromAedes caspius (Pallas) larvae. In addition, unidentifiedBacillus spp. were isolated fromCx. pipiens, T. longiareolata andAe. caspius larvae. Examination of soil samples collected from mosquito natural breeding habitats revealed isolates ofB. cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis H4a 4b; H 12 and H 16 and an unidentifiedBacillus sp.

---

Résumé Des souches bactériennes sporogènes sont isolées de moustiques qui se trouvent dans la région centrale de l'Irak. Les résultats obtenus sont les suivants:Bacillus sphaericus Meyer & Neide [Culex pipiens (L.), larve],Bacillus carotarum Koch etBacillus cereus Frankland & Frankland [Theobaldia longiareolata (Macquart), nymphe],Bacillus laterosporus Laubach etBacillus thuringiensis (H 18) [Aedes caspius (Pallas), larvel]. L'examen des larves deCulex pipiens. T. longiareolata etAe. caspius, ainsi que l'analyse des échantillons du sol prélevés dans la région montrent la présence deBacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis H4a 4b; H12 plus H16 et d'autresBacillus non identifiés.

     

Culex pipiens and Stegomyia albopicta (= Aedes albopictus) populations as vectors for lineage 1 and 2 West Nile virus in Europe

The emerging disease West Nile fever is caused by West Nile virus (WNV), one of the most widespread arboviruses. This study represents the first test of the vectorial competence of European Culex pipiens Linnaeus 1758 and Stegomyia albopicta (= Aedes albopictus) (both: Diptera: Culicidae) populations for lineage 1 and 2 WNV isolated in Europe. Culex pipiens and S. albopicta populations were susceptible to WNV infection, had disseminated infection, and were capable of transmitting both WNV lineages. This is the first WNV competence assay to maintain mosquito specimens under environmental conditions mimicking the field (day/night) conditions associated with the period of maximum expected WNV activity. The importance of environmental conditions is discussed and the issue of how previous experiments conducted in fixed high temperatures may have overestimated WNV vector competence results with respect to natural environmental conditions is analysed. The information presented should be useful to policymakers and public health authorities for establishing effective WNV surveillance and vector control programmes. This would improve preparedness to prevent future outbreaks.     

The effect of shade on the container index and pupal productivity of the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens breeding in artificial containers

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess whether certain attributes of larval breeding sites are correlated with pupal productivity (i.e. numbers of pupae collected per sampling period), so that these could be used as the focus for control measures to enhance control efficiency. Therefore, the objectives were to identify the months of highest pupal productivity of Aedes aegypti (L.) and Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae) in an urban temperate cemetery in Argentina where artificial containers of < 6 L (flower vases) were the predominant breeding habitats, to compare various measures of the productivity of sunlit and shaded containers and to determine whether the composition of the containers affected pupal productivity. Over a period of 9 months, 200 randomly chosen water‐filled containers (100 sunlit and 100 shaded), out of ～ 3738 containers present (～ 54% in shade), were examined each month within a cemetery (5 ha) in Buenos Aires (October 2006 to June 2007). In total, 3440 immatures of Cx pipiens and 1974 of Ae. aegypti were collected. The larvae : pupae ratio was 10 times greater for the former, indicating that larval mortality was greater for Cx pipiens. Both mosquito species showed a higher container index (CI) in shaded than in sunlit containers (Ae. aegypti: 12.8% vs. 6.9% [χ² = 17.6, P < 0.001]; Cx pipiens: 6.3% vs. 1.8% [χ² = 24, P < 0.001]). However, the number and the density of immatures per infested container and the number of pupae per pupa‐positive container did not differ significantly between sunlit and shaded containers for either species. Therefore, the overall relative productivity of pupae per ha of Ae. aegypti and Cx pipiens was 2.3 and 1.8 times greater, respectively, in shaded than in sunlit areas as a result of the greater CIs of containers in shaded areas. Neither the CI nor the number of immatures per infested container differed significantly among container types of different materials in either lighting condition. The maximum CI and total pupal counts occurred in March for Ae. aegypti and in January and February for Cx pipiens. The estimated peak abundance of pupae in the whole cemetery reached a total of ～ 4388 in the middle of March for Ae. aegypti and ～ 1059 in the middle of January for Cx pipiens. Spearman’s correlations between monthly total productivity and monthly CI were significant at P < 0.001 for Ae. aegypti (r_s = 0.975) and P < 0.01 for Cx pipiens (r_s = 0.869). Our findings indicate that the efficacy of control campaigns against the two most important mosquito vectors in temperate Argentina could be improved by targeting containers in shaded areas, with maximum effort during species‐specific times of year when pupal productivity is at its peak.