Exploratory Metaviromic Analysis of the Sea-Rock Pool Mosquito <i>Aedes mariae</i> and the Water of Its Breeding Habitat

The mosquito-associated virome may modulate host biology and influence vector competence, highlighting the importance of understanding its composition. Here, a metagenomic analysis was conducted to characterize the virome of the sea-rock pool mosquito <i>Aedes mariae</i> across sexes and developmental stages, together with water from its sea-rock pool breeding site in San Felice Circeo (Italy). A total of 51 viral taxa were identified, including viruses associated with bacteria and archaea (39%), plants, algae, fungi, and protists (35%), vertebrates (8%), and invertebrates (18%), including insect-specific viruses such as <i>Mesoniviridae</i>, <i>Baculoviridae</i>, <i>Nudiviridae</i>, <i>Iridoviridae</i> and <i>Totiviridae</i>. Twenty-five percent of the taxa were shared across samples, suggesting acquisition from breeding-site water and persistence across stages during development. Interestingly, the need for host genome filtering highlights the potential sequence similarity between viral and mosquito genomes, which may reflect the presence of endogenous viral elements or historical virus-host interactions. These findings represent the first characterization of the virome of <i>Aedes mariae</i> and highlight the role of aquatic breeding sites in shaping mosquito virome. Finally, we argue the importance of adequate sequencing depth and host genome filtering to capture the diversity of the mosquito virome.