Landing rates of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus in Northern Ecuador: Human Landing Catch Study, 2021-2022

The landing patterns of mosquitoes are critical for disease prevention given their roles as vectors of numerous pathogens, especially given documented variability in their patterns across different geographies and contexts. In Ecuador, two of the most important vectors associated with human arboviruses infection, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus, are abundant. Ascertaining the patterns of these mosquitoes biting behaviors (and through this, their potential to transmit pathogens) is essential to better tailor public health interventions and thereby prevent the spread of arboviral diseases. From June 2021 to July 2022, we performed human landing collections of mosquitoes in two sites within Northern Ecuador, capturing mosquitoes in protected and unprotected settings, across the days span. We captured 18,280 mosquitoes, 95.51% were Cx. quinquefasciatus and 1.8% were Ae. aegypti. The results of this study reinforce traditional diel landing patterns and crepuscular patterns for Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus, respectively. We emphasize the importance of elucidating landing dynamics in varied and unique contexts, as established patterns and new dynamics are not necessarily consistent across geographies. Finally, we describe differences in protected versus unprotected collection events, with vector species being more likely to land on protected collectors, of importance for future landing catch studies in disease-endemic areas.