Integrative Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Ecology of Mosquitoes: Advancing Vector Identification and Emerging Arbovirus Surveillance

Mosquitoes represent one of the most medically significant groups of insects, acting as vectors of pathogens that affect millions of people worldwide. Despite decades of research, critical gaps remain in our understanding of mosquito diversity, evolutionary relationships, and ecological interactions, particularly among species inhabiting natural and sylvatic environments. Accurate species identification remains a fundamental challenge for both biodiversity research and vector surveillance.This Research Topic aims to promote integrative studies combining taxonomy, phylogenetics, and ecology to advance the identification and evolutionary understanding of mosquito species worldwide. Strengthening taxonomic frameworks is essential for interpreting ecological data, understanding vector competence, and improving disease surveillance strategies.By bringing together contributions from mosquito systematics, ecological research, and evolutionary biology, this Research Topic seeks to expand our knowledge of mosquito biodiversity and its implications for public health. Particular emphasis will be placed on studies exploring the diversity and ecology of mosquitoes associated with natural ecosystems, which may play key roles in the maintenance and emergence of arboviruses. Improved knowledge of these systems is essential for anticipating potential spillover and spillback events involving pathogens circulating among wildlife, domestic animals, and human populations.Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and malaria represent major global health challenges. However, research has traditionally focused on a relatively small number of species associated with urban environments, leaving large portions of mosquito biodiversity poorly studied. Many mosquito species occurring in forested and sylvatic habitats remain understudied, despite their potential role in maintaining pathogen transmission cycles in natural ecosystems.Recent studies have revealed that several mosquito species inhabiting natural environments are naturally infected with arboviruses that remain poorly characterized or rarely detected in surveillance programs. These findings highlight the importance of expanding research beyond well-known vector species and exploring the broader ecological and evolutionary context of mosquito–pathogen interactions.Integrating taxonomic expertise with ecological and phylogenetic approaches is therefore essential to clarify species boundaries, understand evolutionary relationships, and improve our capacity to detect and monitor emerging vector-borne pathogens.This Research Topic aims to bring together interdisciplinary research that advances our understanding of mosquito diversity, identification, ecology, and evolutionary relationships, with particular relevance to vector biology and emerging infectious diseases.We welcome contributions addressing topics including, but not limited to:• Integrative approaches for mosquito identification combining morphological and molecular data• Mosquito diversity and biogeographic patterns across tropical, temperate, and sylvatic ecosystems• Ecological studies of mosquito species associated with natural habitats and wildlife hosts• Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses clarifying evolutionary relationships among mosquito taxa• Investigations of mosquitoes naturally infected with arboviruses or other pathogens of medical importance• Ecological and evolutionary drivers of arbovirus maintenance and emergence in natural ecosystems• Studies addressing spillover and spillback dynamics between wildlife, domestic animals, and humansWe welcome original research articles, reviews, ecological studies, phylogenetic analyses, and interdisciplinary contributions that integrate biodiversity science, evolutionary biology, and vector-borne disease research. Topic editors: Lawrence E. Reeves, Sheila B Agha, Letícia Ferreira Lima Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79310/integrative-taxonomy-phylogeny-and-ecology-of-mosquitoes-advancing-vector-identification-and-emerging-arbovirus-surveillance