Mosquitoes in urban environments are considered unpleasant by citizens and they can represent serious health risks as disease vectors. Furthermore, invasive Aedes species are continuously spreading in Europe and have been increasingly reported from urban settlements. Some of these mosquito species have been associated with small artificial habitats, e.g., dark plastic containers. Therefore, we could also expect their presence in small plastic garden ponds, which are numerous in urban settings in several parts of Europe. In this study, our aim was to understand the potential abiotic and biotic drivers of the presence of mosquitoes within the macroinvertebrate communities in urban ponds. We sampled 54 public urban ponds in Budapest (Hungary) of both natural and anthropogenic origin and 40 garden ponds which cover both highly urbanized areas and those with high green index in the suburbs. We collected data on the macroinvertebrate communities of these ponds as well as data on management along with physico-chemical parameters and pond features (mainly morphology and vegetation cover) measured in situ during spring 2022. While we did not find any invasive mosquitoes in the 94 ponds, several other species were present, including Anopheles plumbeus, a potential malaria host spreading in urban environments. Macroinvertebrate communities varied between the two main habitat groups and both morphology and management played a key role in community composition.

Primary Presenter: Irene Tornero, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research (irene.tornero@udg.edu)

Authors:

Irene Tornero, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, GRECO, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona  (irene.tornero@ecolres.hu)

Barbara Barta,  Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary  ()

Zsuzsanna Marton, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences, ELTE Eotvos Lorand University  ()

Peter Dobosy, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary  ()

Csaba Vad,  Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, ELTE Eotvos Lorand University  ()

Csilla Laskai, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary  ()

Beata Szabo, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary  ()

Andrew Hamer, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary  ()

Adam Meszaros, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences, ELTE Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary  ()

Zoltan Soltesz, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Hungary  ()

Zsofia Horvath, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, ELTE Eotvos Lorand University  ()