Wyeomyia abebela Dyar & Knab, 1908 and W. coenonus Dyar & Knab, 1913: new mosquito records (Diptera, Culicidae) in the Choco Biosphere Reserve, Ecuador, a biodiversity hotspot

Abstract

We report the first records of two mosquito species, Wyeomyia (Wyeomyia) abebela Dyar & Knab, 1908 and W. (Hystatomyia) coenonus Dyar & Knab, 1913, from the Choco Biosphere Reserve, a global biodiversity hotspot in Ecuador. We collected these mosquitoes in the Mashpi Lodge Reserve, a conserved natural area. Specimens were collected during their immature stages in bromeliads using a 375-ml absorber dropper. Our new data for W. abelela increases the geographical distribution of this species to include seven countries of America (Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and Ecuador); W. coenonus is now known from two countries of America (Panama and Ecuador), and our records of W. abelela and W. coenonus are the first from South America.

Keywords

• Bromeliads
• distribution expansions
• Mashpi
• natur