First detection of invasive mosquito species Aedes japonicus in the territory of the city of Belgrade

Mosquito surveillance which includes monitoring of their presence, developmental stage, abundance and species determination is the first step in the implementation of their control measures. Since 2020. continuous mosquito surveillance in the territory of the city of Belgrade is conducted by Department of Ecology and Environmental Improvement, PUC "City Sanitation" Belgrade. Surveillance is carried out every year from March to October on previously established locations in all Belgrade municipalities. Aedes japonicus (Theobald 1901) invasive mosquito species has become successfully established beyond its native distribution range. In Europe this species was first recorded in France in 2000. and in Serbia first detection of its presence was in 2018. in Ljuba at the border with Croatia. In 2024. both larvae and adults were recorded for the first time in the territory of Belgrade. Second and third instar larvae were found at the Lipovička šuma site on two occasions, the first time in March and again in April in used tyres where water had stagnated after rainfall. They were transported from the field to the entomological laboratory and left to reach the fourth-instar so that identification could be performed. After reaching the fourth-instar one part of larvae was identified based on morphology and the rest of the larvae were left to complete the developmental cycle to the adult stage. Emerged adults were then identified based on morphology. Identification of both larvae and adults showed that they belong to the species Aedes japonicus. Adult mosquitoes of this species were also found in July at three different sites (Banjička šuma, Hajd park, Filmski grad) during adult mosquito surveillance. Continuous surveillance in the following period will show whether these are individual cases or is the species already established in the city of Belgrade.