Detection of larvae of the invasive species Aedes albopictus in churches in the Belgrade area
Church facilities, with candlestands located within churches themselves or in their courtyards, can represent suitable larval breeding microhabitats for mosquito development. These habitats particularly favor the development of the invasive species Aedes albopictus, whose larvae characteristically inhabit small, confined water reservoirs such as candlestands. During a study conducted from September 2025 to February 2026, encompassing 25 church facilities across the territory of Belgrade, larval presence was recorded in several of these sites, with the highest larval density observed at the church in Žarkovo. These findings confirm that the species successfully develops under conditions typical of church environments, while the elevated larval abundance in September indicates more intense reproductive activity during periods with more favorable temperature regimes. In November, the number of sites with detected larvae decreased, whereas larvae were entirely absent during the December-February period.