Spatial coupling between Aedes aegypti life stages and urban land surface temperature in a temperate Argentine city

Understanding how Aedes aegypti eggs and gravid female are spatially structured, and how they relate to urban temperature heterogeneity, is essential in improving vector surveillance. This study analyzed the spatial distribution patterns of egg and gravid female abundance of Ae. aegypti in the city of Reconquista (Argentina) during the 2024–2025 epidemiological season and assessed spatial associations between life stages and with land surface temperature (LST). Data obtained between December 2024 and March 2025 during montoring using ovitraps and gravid Aedes traps were analyzed. The mean abundance of eggs (EG) and gravid female (GF) (adjusted by active devices) was calculated. Spatial autocorrelation and the association between both stages were assessed using global univariate and bivariate Moran’s I statistics. Mean abundance was aggregated into a 600 m hexagonal grid, and bivariate LISA was used to identify local spatial clusters. Both EG and GF exhibited significant positive spatial autocorrelation, with clusters of high reproductive activity concentrated in specific sectors of the city. There was a significant positive global spatial association between EG abundance and GF female abundance. However, local LISA analysis showed that this association was spatially heterogeneous, with most areas not exhibiting significant local coupling. These results indicate that egg and gravid female distributions are spatially coupled at the urban scale, although this relationship is spatially heterogeneous and restricted to specific sectors of the city. We found a positive spatial association between EG and GF with LST, with nearly half of the study area exhibiting concordant High EG/GF–High LST or Low EG/GF–Low LST patterns. EG and GF abundance show clear spatial structuring across the evaluated life stages. Urban LST appears spatially coupled with EG and GF abundance, supporting a strong thermo-biological linkage in the urban landscape.