Data from: A scoping review of mosquito vector range shifts: widespread expansions and evidence gaps in climate attribution

As global temperatures rise, concerns about shifting mosquito ranges—and
accompanying changes in the transmission of malaria, dengue, and other
diseases—are mounting. However, systematic evidence for climate-driven
changes in mosquito ranges remains limited. We conducted a scoping review
following PRISMA-ScR guidelines of studies documenting expansions or
contractions in medically important mosquito species. In total, 178
studies on six continents identified range expansions in 118 mosquito
species. While over a third of these studies cited warming as a driver,
fewer than 10% performed statistical tests of the role of climate.
Instead, most expansions were linked to human-aided dispersal (e.g.,
trade, travel), land-use changes, and urbanization. Although several
studies reported poleward or upward expansions consistent with climate
warming, none demonstrated warm-edge contractions driven by rising
temperatures, which are theoretically predicted in some settings. Rather
than expanding into newly suitable areas, many expansions appear to be
filling preexisting thermally suitable habitats. Our findings highlight
the need for long-term mosquito monitoring, rigorous climate-attribution
methods, and better documentation of confounding factors like land-use
change and vector control efforts to disentangle climate-driven changes
from other anthropogenic factors.