Medical and Veterinary Entomology最新文献

{"title":"Effects of Metarhizium humberi conidia formulated with micronized carnauba wax on self-grooming behaviours by Aedes aegypti adults.","authors":"Lucas Santos, Juscelino Rodrigues, Christian Luz","doi":"10.1111/mve.12806","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12806","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera, Culicidae), the key vector of viral diseases to humans in the tropics, is susceptible to infection by entomopathogenic fungi. Self-grooming behaviour, which remains largely unstudied for mosquitoes, may possibly interfere with fungal infection through the cuticle. In this study, self-grooming by A. aegypti adults exposed to Metarhizium humberi Luz, Rocha & Delalibera 2019 (Hypocreales, Clavicipitaceae) conidia supplemented or not with micronized carnauba wax (MCW) led to a decrease of non-germinated conidia and of early germinative stages from their body surface up to 24 h after exposure to a fungus-treated surface. Self-grooming behaviours by adults distinctly showed increased low-level, spontaneous and stimulus-independent self-grooming after exposure to conidia with or without added MCW or only to MCW. The first pair of legs simultaneously scraped the proboscis, antennae and wings; in three separate actions, the third pair of legs scraped (a) each other, (b) the first and second legs and (c) the gonapophyses. Immediately after exposure, conidia, a conidial/MCW mixture or MCW (without fungus) was readily detectable on tarsi, tibias and femurs (especially of the first and second leg pairs), gonapophyses, proboscis, antennae and wings. In mobile adults, mean conidial numbers dropped approximately fivefold during the 24 h immediately after exposure, but especially during the first 6 h, regardless of the conidial preparation and then, to a lesser extent, in the remaining 18 h. For cold-immobilized adults, during the first day post-exposure, conidial losses were distinctly lower or insignificant. MCW neither increased the number nor enhanced the retention time of conidia on the cuticle during the time tested. These findings strengthen the importance of considering self-grooming of mosquitoes - particularly regarding A. aegypti, the vector examined here - when developing specific fungal formulations for use in biological control.</p>","PeriodicalId":18350,"journal":{"name":"Medical and Veterinary Entomology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143989647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morin hydrate reduces survival and fertility, delays development and weakens lipid reserves in Aedes aegypti.","authors":"Luan Valim Dos Santos, Elaine Rodrigues Miranda Nery da Silva, Matheus Silva Caiado, Renan Albuquerque Camasmie, Herbert Marcusi Souza de Agustini, Raquel do Nascimento de Souza, Bruno Guimarães Marinho, Rosane Nora Castro, Mario Geraldo de Carvalho, Emerson Guedes Pontes","doi":"10.1111/mve.12805","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12805","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Aedes aegypti mosquito is generally associated with arboviruses that cause yellow fever, dengue, zika and chikungunya. The most efficient way to control their populations is through application in breeding sites of highly toxic insecticides that can also impact non-target organisms and generate resistant populations. Therefore, the use of compounds is desirable. Morin hydrate has broad pharmacological applications based on its antioxidant potential, in addition to not having negative effects on mammals. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of morin hydrate on A. aegypti survival, pupation rate, egg laying, triacylglycerol reserves and expression of proteins related to lipid metabolism 24 h after exposure of larvae. For this, rearing media containing A. aegypti larvae with different concentrations of morin hydrate were formulated to evaluate the lethal concentration. Calculation of the expected lethal concentrations showed LC₂₅ of 52.692 μM, LC₄₀ of 111.121 μM, LC₅₀ of 174.775 μM, LC₇₅ of 575.083 μM and LC₉₀ of 1685.936 μM. Twenty-four hours after treatment with morin hydrate, surviving larvae were transferred to morin-free water with food, and their pupation rate and fertility were evaluated. We observed that an increase in the concentration of morin hydrate induced a dose-dependent reduction in survival, doubled pupation time in survivors and reduced the number of eggs laid by treated females during the larval stage by approximately 30% at concentrations exceeding 100 μM. From this, the impact of 24 h on the triacylglycerol (TAG) stock was evaluated, in addition to evaluating the expression of proteins involved in lipid metabolism. Larvae 24 h after treatment with 100 μM morin showed a reduction in TAG reserves of approximately 17%, while at 175 μM, there was a reduction of more than 33% in stocks, and at 500 μM there was a reduction of 61%. Furthermore, the lipolytic proteins TAGL1 and HSL were upregulated, while the lipogenic proteins FAS1, DGAT1 and GPAT1 were downregulated. Insulin-like receptors were also downregulated, unlike AKHr, which was also upregulated. These data demonstrate that morin hydrate reduces the survival and fertility of A. aegypti by affecting its lipid metabolism. Morin hydrate did not exhibit toxicity toward non-target organisms, demonstrating interesting potential for the control of mosquito populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":18350,"journal":{"name":"Medical and Veterinary Entomology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144021164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Current and potential distribution of the neotropical hard tick Amblyomma patinoi (Ixodida: Ixodidae).","authors":"Erika M Ospina-Pérez, Camilo A Cuéllar-Romero, Paula A Ossa-López, Fredy A Rivera-Páez, Elkin A Noguera-Urbano, Héctor E Ramírez-Chaves","doi":"10.1111/mve.12804","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12804","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius) complex (Acari: Ixodidae) is represented by six species of hard ticks widely distributed from southern Texas in the United States to northern Argentina. Species within the complex feed on a variety of vertebrate hosts, primarily mammals, including humans. These ticks are the main vector of the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii (Brumpt; Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) and have been associated with the transmission of several arboviruses. In Colombia, one of the most ecologically diverse countries of the Neotropics, two species of the complex have been recorded with sympatric distribution in the northwestern part of the country: Amblyomma mixtum (Koch) and Amblyomma patinoi (Labruna, Nava & Beati). The latter is of medical importance as it has been confirmed as a competent vector of R. rickettsii in inter-Andean valleys of Colombia. Here, we assessed the current distribution of A. patinoi and predicted changes in its distribution over the century under different climate change scenarios. Additionally, we incorporated new records, delved deeper into the distribution of A. patinoi and interpreted model results using the climate classification and ecoregions for the Neotropical region. The results showed the presence of A. patinoi in 79 localities distributed across 34 municipalities and seven departments of the Caribbean and Andean regions of Colombia. In addition, new records were identified in two additional departments (Valle del Cauca and Caquetá) of the Andean and Amazon regions, as well as additional records in the department of Cundinamarca, especially in the inter-Andean Magdalena River basin. A. patinoi has been recorded in five ecoregions (Cauca Valley Dry Forests, Guajira-Barranquilla Moist Forests, Magdalena Valley Dry Forests and Magdalena-Urabá Moist Forests) and is associated with horses, cattle, dogs and humans. Its elevational range extends from 8 to 645 m a.s.l. in the Caribbean region and from 497 to 1712 m a.s.l. in the Andean region and inter-Andean valleys. The potential distribution models suggest that A. patinoi presents high climatic suitability in the Caribbean areas and inter-Andean valleys. Under climate change scenarios a possible expansion of the species distribution is observed in areas currently not recorded in the Neotropics, in countries such as Brazil, Peru and Venezuela. However, geographical conditions, such as elevation, could limit its distribution at higher elevations.</p>","PeriodicalId":18350,"journal":{"name":"Medical and Veterinary Entomology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144007208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence, distribution and phylogenetic relationships of Bartonella in companion animals, wildlife and fleas from the Atlantic Forest ecoregion, Argentina.","authors":"Mara Urdapilleta, Angélica Pech-May, Daniela Lamattina, Eliana Florencia Burgos, Magalí Gabriela Giuliani, María Micaela Cortés, Mario Espinoza-Carniglia, Oscar Daniel Salomón, Marcela Lareschi","doi":"10.1111/mve.12801","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12801","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence and distribution of Bartonella species in companion animals, wildlife and their associated fleas in different landscapes of the Atlantic Forest ecoregion of Argentina, and to analyse the phylogenetic relationships between the Bartonella species identified in this study in addition to those found in other regions available in GenBank. A total of 257 mammals, including rodents, opossums, dogs and cats, were examined to detect the presence of Bartonella in both fleas and host tissues. The study revealed the presence of Bartonella in rodent fleas (47.7%), opossum fleas (7.8%), rodent spleens (6.5%) and cat blood (10%). Analysis of 15 gltA gene fragments revealed the existence of at least three different genotypes and eight haplotypes. Genetic analysis has established a close association between Bartonella species from mammals and fleas in both the Atlantic Forest of Brazil and the Costanera Sur Reserve in Argentina. Bartonella henselae (Regnery et al.) Brenner et al. (Hyphomicrobiales: Bartonellaceae) was identified in three rodent species: Rattus rattus (L.; Muridae), Akodon montensis Thomas (Cricetidae) and Calomys tener Winge (Cricetidae). This marks the first report of B. henselae in R. rattus in Argentina, as well as the initial documentation of its association with A. montensis and C. tener. Additionally, Bartonella clarridgeiae Lawson and Collins (Hyphomicrobiales: Bartonellaceae) was identified in feline blood and in fleas from dogs and cats. These findings are particularly relevant in the context of areas undergoing deforestation, where interactions between wild and domestic hosts increase the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. A One Health approach is crucial to understand transmission dynamics and to address the challenges posed by fleas as infection amplifiers and spillover phenomena. These present significant challenges for public health and biodiversity conservation.</p>","PeriodicalId":18350,"journal":{"name":"Medical and Veterinary Entomology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144064026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Host-parasite relationship in urban environments: A network analysis of haemoparasite infections in Nasua nasua Linnaeus (South American coati).","authors":"Filipe Martins Santos, Nayara Yoshie Sano, Livia Perles, Marcos Rogério André","doi":"10.1111/mve.12803","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12803","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Parasite relationships are influenced by host size, behaviour, population density and location and can affect the ecological dynamics of their hosts. Urban environments provide new contexts for host-parasite interactions, often leading to changes in infection dynamics when compared with the natural environment. This study focuses on the relationship between five genera of haemoparasites (Anaplasma Theiler, Ehrlichia Moshkovski, Hepatozoon Miller, haemotropic Mycoplasma Nowak and Neorickettsia Philip) found in the South American coati Nasua nasua Linnaeus (Carnivora: Procyonidae), a carnivore highly adaptable to urban areas. Here, we used network analysis to verify the interaction between N. nasua and haemoparasites. We also used a General Linear Model to investigate the influence of biotic and abiotic variables and haemoparasite infections on the functional roles of N. nasua individuals, considering weight, age, sex and tick infestation (number of immature ticks collected). The network revealed low modularity, and none of the biotic variables, immature stages of ticks and location of sampling had any influence on the functional role of N. nasua. The most important haemoparasite in the network was haemotropic Mycoplasma, identified as a key non-hub connector, probably spreading efficiently through frequent agonistic social interactions from N. nasua. These findings underscore the complex interplay between host behaviour, environmental factors and parasite ecology in urban environments, offering insights into managing urban wildlife diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":18350,"journal":{"name":"Medical and Veterinary Entomology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143700604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Host-feeding preferences of Culex pipiens and its potential significance for flavivirus transmission in the Camargue, France.","authors":"Víctor Rodríguez-Valencia, Marie-Marie Olive, Gilbert Le Goff, Marine Faisse, Marie Bourel, Grégory L'Ambert, Benjamin Vollot, María José Tolsá-García, Christophe Paupy, David Roiz","doi":"10.1111/mve.12802","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12802","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The spread of the West Nile (WNV) and Usutu (USUV) flaviviruses in Europe in recent decades highlights the urgent need to understand the transmission networks of these pathogens as a basis for effective decision-making. These viruses are part of a complex disease cycle that involves birds as principal hosts and humans and horses as dead-end hosts. Our study aims to uncover the intricate relationships between the main mosquito vector of these viruses, Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae) and its feeding preferences based on the forage ratio among several host species, primarily birds in a land-use gradient. We estimated the bird host potential to act as a host for flavivirus, the reservoir capacity index, based on forage ratios and potential host competence based on molecular prevalence. We sampled mosquitoes and, at the same time, conducted bird censuses in the Camargue region in southern France, where co-circulation of these viruses has been reported. Several localities were sampled along a land-use gradient in peri-urban, agricultural and natural areas from May to November 2021. We identified 55 vertebrate species in 110 engorged Cx. pipiens by PCR amplification and sequencing of mitochondrial 12S and 16S Ribosomal DNA genes. Culex pipiens feeds primarily on 51 bird species and secondarily on two mammals, one amphibian and one reptile. Based on forage ratios, we found a preference of Cx. pipiens in the Camargue for the order Passeriformes and, more specifically, for Columba livia domestica L. (Columbiformes: Columbidae) in agricultural areas, and for Passer domesticus/montanus L. (Passeriformes: Passeridae), in agricultural and peri-urban areas. The natural habitats had significantly higher forage ratio values than agricultural and peri-urban areas. We suggest that certain key species, such as Passer sp., Columba livia and Turdus sp., might be potentially considered locally relevant hosts for transmission in this area, as they are important for mosquito feeding and also potentially important hosts for flavivirus amplification. These data will be beneficial in understanding host-vector interactions and the relationships between bird communities, mosquito feeding preferences and emerging mosquito-borne diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":18350,"journal":{"name":"Medical and Veterinary Entomology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143673331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geographic patterns of functional and phylogenetic niche breadth in Holarctic fleas (Siphonaptera).","authors":"Boris R Krasnov, Georgy I Shenbrot","doi":"10.1111/mve.12800","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12800","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We studied geographic patterns of functional and phylogenetic niche breadth of 194 flea species. Niche breadth was measured as the functional and phylogenetic diversity and uniqueness of the assemblages of small mammal hosts exploited by these fleas.We asked (a) whether the relationships between niche breadth and geographic range size conform to the 'niche breadth hypothesis', predicting positive correlations, and (b) whether variation of niche breadth along the latitudinal position of geographic range conforms to the 'niche breadth-latitude hypothesis', predicting narrower niche breadth at lower latitudes. We found that the functional and phylogenetic diversity, but not the functional and phylogenetic uniqueness, of the host assemblages demonstrated patterns conforming to the prediction of the 'niche breadth hypothesis'. Host assemblages exploited by broadly distributed fleas tended to be functionally and phylogenetically more diverse than those of fleas with a restricted geographic distribution, but the functional and phylogenetic uniqueness of hosts decreased in more broadly distributed fleas. The phylogenetic diversity of hosts exploited by a flea did not vary with the latitudinal position of the flea's geographic range. In contrast, the functional diversity and both the functional and phylogenetic uniqueness of hosts decreased from south to north, thus contradicting the predictions of 'the niche breadth-latitude hypothesis'. Comparing these and earlier results on the geographic patterns of flea niche breadth, we conclude (a) that compositional, functional and phylogenetic diversity could be similarly driven by some factors and differently by other factors and (b) that these diversity facets are not always good surrogates for each other.</p>","PeriodicalId":18350,"journal":{"name":"Medical and Veterinary Entomology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143605485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of adverse weather events on cockroaches and flies, and the possible effects on disease.","authors":"Alexandra Hiscox, Freya Spencer, Jessica Dennehy, Will Dyall, Akinbowale Jenkins, Abhinandan Narendran, Avijit Das, James G Logan, Robert T Jones","doi":"10.1111/mve.12797","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12797","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Climate change is associated with an increase in adverse weather events such as heatwaves, drought, hurricanes and typhoons, floods and wildfires. These extreme weather events can disrupt public health infrastructure and can be detrimental to hygiene and sanitation practices, leading to knock-on effects on populations of vectors associated with disease transmission. Both the frequency and intensity of climate-related adverse weather events are predicted to increase, likely resulting in changes to vector dynamics and vector-human interactions, leading to an increased risk of disease transmission. Yet, a gap exists in our knowledge of the impact of these events on hygiene and associated pest-borne diseases. A growing body of research connects two groups of pests (domestic flies and cockroaches) that are linked with poor hygiene and sanitary conditions to mechanical disease transmission. We present a review of these specific vectors' population biology and behaviour, links with hygiene and sanitation and how pest populations and public health could be affected by adverse weather events. There is evidence that increased temperatures, extreme rainfall and flooding events are most likely to be associated with increased fly and cockroach populations and changes in the behaviour or activity of these insects, which could exacerbate the risks of disease transmission. Warmer temperatures accelerate their rates of reproduction, while heavy rainfall and flooding disrupt their habitats, driving them indoors. Other factors like habitat destruction, breakdown in healthcare system infrastructure, population displacement and altered pesticide use following an extreme weather event are predicted to influence insect populations and provide opportunities for increased human -pest contact. We highlight research gaps and provide recommendations for the improvement of current domestic and professional pest control products and strategies that might be employed to mitigate the impacts of adverse weather events on hygiene-related pests in a changing world.</p>","PeriodicalId":18350,"journal":{"name":"Medical and Veterinary Entomology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143573302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preimaginal development of Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) in brackish water gives rise to adult mosquitoes with thicker cuticles and greater insecticide resistance.","authors":"Kokila Sivabalakrishnan, Andrew Hemphill, S H P Parakrama Karunaratne, Arunasalam Naguleswaran, Isabel Roditi, Sinnathamby N Surendran, Ranjan Ramasamy","doi":"10.1111/mve.12799","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12799","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aedes aegypti L. and Aedes albopictus Skuse mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), the principal vectors of many human arboviral diseases, lay eggs and undergo preimaginal development in fresh water. They have recently been shown to also develop in brackish water in coastal areas. Previous findings showed that Ae. aegypti larvae developing in brackish water possessed thicker cuticles and greater larvicide resistance than larvae developing in fresh water. The present study compared cuticle ultrastructure, resistance to adulticides, and the activities of adulticide detoxifying enzymes in female mosquitoes emerging from fresh and brackish water-developing Ae. aegypti preimaginal stages. The results showed that brackish water-derived females possessed significantly thicker tarsal and abdominal cuticles compared to fresh water-derived females. Brackish water-derived Ae. aegypti females were also significantly more resistant to three different types of pyrethroids and malathion compared to fresh water-derived females. Corresponding reversal of cuticle changes and adulticide resistance when preimaginal salinity was reversed showed that preimaginal salinity determined both procuticle structure and adulticide resistance in brackish water-derived females. Compared with fresh water-derived Ae. aegypti females, brackish water-derived females had similar activities of the adulticide-detoxifying enzyme families of esterases and glutathione S-transferases and a modest increase in the activity of monooxygenases, all of which were lower than the threshold values attributed to resistance in field populations of Ae. aegypti. Reduced permeability of the thicker and remodelled cuticles in brackish water-derived Ae. aegypti females to adulticides is proposed to be mainly responsible for their greater resistance to different types of adulticides. Greater salinity tolerance of preimaginal stages, adult cuticle changes and higher larvicide and adulticide resistance are inherited properties of brackish water-developing Ae. aegypti that reverse in a few generations after transfer to fresh water. This is compatible with a role for epigenetic changes in the adaptation of Ae. aegypti to brackish water. Greater resistance of salinity-tolerant Ae. aegypti to adulticides and larvicides poses a hitherto unappreciated problem for controlling arboviral diseases, with attendant implications also for other mosquito-borne diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":18350,"journal":{"name":"Medical and Veterinary Entomology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143573155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Overabundant single-host settings as field labs to assess blood meal patterns of mosquitoes.","authors":"Karelly Melgarejo-Colmenares, Darío Vezzani, Marlene Kliger, María V Cardo","doi":"10.1111/mve.12798","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12798","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Blood meal patterns of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are strongly influenced by host availability. However, the role of community composition and abundance of vertebrate hosts in determining such patterns is still unclear. Here, we analysed the blood meal sources of field-collected mosquitoes in settings with a permanent overabundance of a specific vertebrate species. Mosquitoes were collected using a battery-powered handheld aspirator every 2 months between November 2021 and April 2022 in temperate Argentina. Blood-engorged mosquitoes were collected at 11 sites corresponding to five types of settings: two cattle fields, one rabbit breeding farm, three chicken farms, two dog boarding facilities, and three geriatric hospitals, characterised by the permanent overabundance of cows, rabbits, chickens, dogs, and humans, respectively. Blood meal analysis was performed via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed in which variables were pairs comprising an engorged mosquito species and the host species it fed on. A total of 242 blood meals from Aedes (3 species), Culex (4), Isostomyia (1) and Psorophora (1) were identified. Among these, five mammals and 12 avian species were identified as hosts. Overall, 79% of the blood meals were taken from the overabundant host, ranging from 67% to 99% in all settings except for geriatric hospitals (7%). The proportion of feeds taken on the overabundant host was lowest for Culex quinquefasciatus Say (0.67, N = 119), Cx. pipiens molestus Forskal (0.5, N = 18) and the hybrid between the two (0.5, N = 2), and highest for Aedes aegypti Linnaeus (1, N = 2), Ae. albifasciatus Macquart (1, N = 3), Ae. crinifer Theobald (1, N = 46), Cx. eduardoi Casal & García (0.9, N = 10), Isostomyia paranensis Brèthes (1, N = 20) and Psorophora ferox Humboldt (1, N = 21). By fixing host abundance in preselected settings, we propose a field design that overcomes the difficulties of estimating host community composition. This approach aids in achieving a clearer understanding of mosquito feeding patterns and their implications for arbovirus disease transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":18350,"journal":{"name":"Medical and Veterinary Entomology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143537230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}