Publication records new exotic mosquito species for Belgium
In 2018, a Culex larva was collected during routine monitoring activities to intercept exotic Aedes mosquito species in the port of Antwerp (Kallo, Belgium). The larva, collected from a pond in mid-September, was morphologically identified as Culex modestus, and this identification was confirmed using COI barcoding by BopCo. It is the first confirmed record of this West Nile virus bridge vector, Culex modestus, in Belgium. The present study also demonstrates the value of DNA-based identification techniques to validate the presence of potential vector species.