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Background   Culex pipiens  complex taxa differ in behaviour, ecophysiology and epidemiologic importance. Despite their epidemiologic significance, information on genetic diversity, occurrence and seasonal and spatial distribution patterns of the  Cx. pipiens  complex is still insufficient. Assessment of seasonal and spatial distribution patterns of  Culex pipiens  forms and their congener  Cx. torrentium  is crucial for the understanding of their vector–pathogen dynamics.    Methods  Female mosquitoes were trapped from April–October 2014 twice a month for a 24-h time period with BG-sentinel traps at 24 sampling sites in eastern Austria, using carbon dioxide as attractant. Ecological forms of  Cx. pipiens  s.l. and their hybrids were differentiated using the CQ11 locus, and  Cx. pipiens  forms and their congener  Cx. torrentium  using the ACE-2 gene. Differential exploitation of ecological niches by  Cx. pipiens  forms and  Cx. torrentium  was analysed using likelihood ratio tests. Possible effects of environmental parameters on these taxa were tested using PERMANOVA based on distance matrices and, if significant, were modelled in nMDS ordination space to estimate non-linear relationships.    Results  For this study, 1476  Culex  spp. were sampled.  Culex pipiens  f.  pipiens  representing 87.33 % of the total catch was most abundant, followed by hybrids of both forms (5.62 %),  Cx. torrentium  (3.79 %) and  Cx. pipiens  f.  molestus  (3.25 %). Differences in proportional abundances were found between land cover classes. Ecological parameters affecting seasonal and spatial distribution of these taxa in eastern Austria are precipitation duration, air temperature, sunlight and the interaction term of precipitation amount and the Danube water level, which can be interpreted as a proxy for breeding habitat availability.    Conclusions  The  Cx. pipiens  complex of eastern Austria comprises both ecologically different forms, the mainly ornithophilic form  pipiens  and the mainly mammalophilic and anthropophilic form  molestus . Heterogeneous agricultural areas as areas of coexistence may serve as hybridization zones, resulting in potential bridge vectors between birds and humans. Occurrence, seasonal and spatial distribution patterns of the  Cx. pipiens  complex and  Cx. torrentium  and the presence of hybrids between both forms were quantified for the first time in Austria. These findings will improve the knowledge of their vector–pathogen dynamics in this country.

Ecological characterization and molecular differentiation of Culex pipiens complex taxa and Culex torrentium in eastern Austria