First records of the thermophilic mosquito Culiseta longiareolata (Macquart, 1838) in Austria, 2012, and in Slovenia, 2013

<p>During a West Nile virus surveillance programme, Culiseta longiareolata (Macquart, 1838) was discovered for the first time in Austria. Two larvae and one female imago were collected from an artificial water storage container in the wine-growing village of Gamlitz (province of Styria) on July 12, 2012 at 450 m.a.s.l., 46&deg;4058,2&acute;N, 15&deg;3151,4&acute;E. Additional specimens of Cs. longiareolata were found on September 8, 2012, when numerous larvae were detected in used car tyres about 160 km westward, in the region of Finkenstein (province of Carinthia). A third site containing larvae of Cs. longiareolata was discovered on October 10, 2012, near Althofen about 60 km northeast of the Finkenstein location. Previously, in May 2012, the latter two sites were negative for Cs. longiareolata. In autumn 2013 Cs. longiareolata was reconfirmed in Carinthia and the first record detected for Slovenia with larvae collected from a rain barrel in a location approximately 6 km north-northeast of the city of Maribor, on September 1, 2013 at 288 m.a.s.l., 46&deg;3959,8&acute;N, 15&deg;3942,2&acute;E. It is proposed that Cs. longiareolata was not passively introduced along a major transportation route, but has either actively invaded from neighbouring Italy and Slovenia into the south of Austria within the last few decades and/or has remained undetected owing to its cryptic occurrence on account of its belated activity at the end of summer and during autumn.</p>