mMap: a comprehensive and continuously updated species distribution database facilitating the understanding of mosquito diversity and distribution patterns

Abstract

Mosquitoes, as vectors of deadly diseases like malaria and dengue, exhibit complex and dynamic global distribution patterns influenced by climate change and human activity. However, gaps in species-level data and biases in existing databases hinder accurate risk assessments. Here, we present mMap (v1.01), a comprehensive and curated mosquito distribution database integrating multi-source records from literature (36,242 entries across 1,809 studies), museum collections, and field reports in 6 languages. Systematic data harmonization and validation workflows address taxonomic and spatial uncertainties, enabling family-level analyses previously constrained by fragmented data. Our results reveal significant range expansions for 28 invasive species (e.g., Aedes albopictus in Europe) and corrections to historical distributions (e.g., Ae. vexans in 22 new countries). The interactive mMap platform (accessible at https://mos-map.vercel.app/) provides open-access tools for visualizing spatial-temporal trends, automated SDM forecasting, and expert-curated species profiles. By unifying dispersed data into a scalable framework, mMap advances research on mosquito biodiversity, invasion ecology, and disease risk mapping, offering a critical resource for global health strategies in an era of rapid environmental change.