First records of five species of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Galicia, including the first evidence of the genus Coquillettidia in northwestern Spain.

We present the first records of Coquillettidia (Coquillettidia) buxtoni (Edwards, 1923) (n=15), Culex (Neoculex) impudicus Ficalbi, 1890 (n=12), Culex (Neoculex) territans Walker, 1856 (n=52), Culiseta (Culicella) fumipennis (Stephens, 1825) (n=535), and Culiseta (Culicella) morsitans (Theobald, 1901) (n=54) in the Autonomous Community of Galicia (NW Spain), including the first evidence of the genus Coquillettidia Dyar, 1904 in the northwest of Spain. The field research was carried out in different water ecosystems (ponds, streams, rivers, lakes, and lagoons) belonging to 39 zones throughout the entire Galician territory. The samples were collected intermittently and seasonally through different projects of water quality monitoring between 1998 and 2018. A total of 1,614 mosquito larvae have been analyzed, and 668 of them were identified as species not previously recorded in Galicia. Between 1999 and 2003, the first catches of these species were obtained and since then, more specimens have been detected in different wetlands of Galicia, mainly in spring and summer.

First records of Anopheles (Anopheles) plumbeus Stephens, 1828 and Culex (Culex) torrentium Martini, 1925 (Diptera: Culicidae) in Galicia (NW Spain).

We present the first records of Anopheles (Anopheles) plumbeus Stephens, 1828 and Culex (Culex) torrentium Martini, 1925 in the autonomous region of Galicia (NW Spain), obtained through the Rede Galega de Vixilancia de Vectores (ReGaViVec). This entomological surveillance network, which was initiated in 2017 by the Xunta de Galicia in collaboration with the University of Vigo and the University of Santiago de Compostela, aims to detect the arrival of invasive vectors as well as to improve the knowledge about mosquito populations (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Galician territory. This study shows the first findings of these species in Galicia, which have been reported in six different locations throughout the region: five in the province of Pontevedra and one in the province of Lugo. The 51 captured specimens were collected at different stages of development between July and September, 2018 and 2019 by using specialized traps arranged in favorable regions for the settlement and development of culicids.

Chromosomal relationships of Simulium armoricanum and its undescribed sister species in the Simulium vernum species group (Diptera: Simuliidae).

The banding sequence of the polytene chromosomes of Simulium armoricanum Doby & David from England, Portugal, and Spain was resolved relative to the standard map for the S. vernum group. The species is characterized by 11 fixed inversions, one nearly fixed inversion, and three common polymorphisms. The sister species of S. armoricanum is proposed as a formally undescribed species discovered in samples from Portugal. It shares one unique inversion with S. armoricanum, but otherwise differs by eight fixed or nearly fixed rearrangements. Simulium armoricanum and its newly discovered sister species, informally referred to as Simulium 'IL-8', are members of a larger clade of Palearctic species defined by a small pericentric inversion in chromosome III. Among the simuliid species occupying the same streams with S. armoricanum was the first record, chromosomally confirmed, of S. aureum Fries sensu stricto in Portugal. Successful chromosomal analysis of samples of S. armoricanum 17 years after initial fixation demonstrates the importance of storing cytologically fixed larvae at subzero temperatures.