Atlas and catalogue of the mosquitoes of Luxembourg

Schaffner F., A. Weigand & C. Ries, 2023. – Atlas and catalogue of the mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) of Luxembourg. Ferrantia 87, Musée national d’histoire naturelle, Luxembourg, 117 p. [PDF 5.2 MB]

The Atlas of the Mosquitoes of Luxembourg has been published on 2023-01-20 in the Ferrantia series of the National Museum of Natural History and describes 28 species (31 taxa) of culicides found in the Grand Duchy.

Mosquito-borne diseases such as chikungunya, dengue, Usutu or West Nile, have come back to the forefront in both human and animal health. To prevent outbreaks, it is necessary to acquire a solid knowledge of the mosquito fauna in the considered area. Therefore, and since the mosquito fauna of Luxembourg was only partially known, we suggested the construction of the first comprehensive mosquito diversity and distribution database for the Grand Duchy as a base for an atlas. This atlas of the mosquitoes of Luxembourg assembles a taxonomic list and species’ distribution maps.

The project MosquitoLUX (2019-2022)

The project MosquitoLUX (2019-2022) aimed to compile and complete knowledge on mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Luxembourg. In a context of climate and environmental change, this first mosquito atlas draws up an inventory of Culicidae fauna, in terms of biodiversity first, but also in terms of public health and vector risks. The latter required not only the collection of presence/absence data, but also abundance and seasonality according to different environments.

Main researchers

• Dr Francis Schaffner, expert in medical and veterinary entomology, Francis Schaffner Consultancy (Surveillance and management of biting insects), Riehen, Switzerland.
• Dr Christian Ries, curator, Department of Ecology, Luxembourg National Museum of Natural History.
• Dr Alexander Weigand, curator, Department of Zoology, Luxembourg National Museum of Natural History.

Financing institutional partners

• National Museum of Natural History (MNHNL). Involved departments: Ecology and Zoology.
• Ministry of Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development (MECDD).
• Ministry / Directorate of Health (M/DS).

Administrative leader

• Fondation faune-flore – Institut de recherche sur le patrimoine naturel et la diversité biologique (FFF).

Online documents

The following page gives access to online resources mentioned in the Atlas and difficult to find: Atlas references difficult to find