Introduction: Studies directed to investigate ecological parameters of sylvatic mosquitoes populations permit the establishment of risk levels in the transmission of arboviruses and provide the basis for recommendations to health authorities about prevention, surveillance and control.
Objective: To establish the diversity and abundance of mosquitoes vectors of arbovirus in rural areas of Apartadó and Turbo, Antioquia.
Materials and methods: Quarterly sampling was done. For mosquito collections in forest fragments, CDC traps, Shannon traps and human landing methods were used. Diversity and abundance indices were calculated.
Results: Five hundred eighty-three mosquitoes were collected and identified in 10 genera and 27 species. The most abundant species were as follows: Coquilletidia venezuelensis (14.6%), Aedes scapularis (14.1%), Psorophora ferox (10.8%) and Culex quinquefasciatus (10.3%). Species richness and ecological indexes were highest in Turbo municipality; where the forest fragment was considered highest in species richness and uniformity. The identification in the samples of Culex pedroi,Ae. scapularis, Aedes angustivittatus, Cq. venezuelensis, Culex nigripalpus, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Culex declarator, Mansonia titillans, Mansonia pseudotitillans, Ps. ferox and Trichoprosopon. Digitatum--all previously reported as arbovirus vectors--warns about the possibility of arbovirus transmission in the zone.
Conclusions: Mosquito diversity and abundance in the study area was very high. The ecological analysis, plus previous reports about vector competence of several of the recorded species, permits the conclusion that arbovirus outbreaks can occur in the Urabá region.