npj entomologyPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-08-11DOI: 10.1038/s44434-026-00002-4
Lucy Abel, Samuel Kahindi, David Ekai, Erastus Kirwa, Rebecca Lokwang, Mark Amunga, Evans Omollo, Emmah Kimachas, Millicent Cherono, Linda Maraga, Diana Menya, Andrew Obala, Wendy Prudhomme O'Meara
{"title":"An investigation of malaria vector populations in Turkana, Kenya to understand the potential impact of insecticide-treated nets.","authors":"Lucy Abel, Samuel Kahindi, David Ekai, Erastus Kirwa, Rebecca Lokwang, Mark Amunga, Evans Omollo, Emmah Kimachas, Millicent Cherono, Linda Maraga, Diana Menya, Andrew Obala, Wendy Prudhomme O'Meara","doi":"10.1038/s44434-026-00002-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44434-026-00002-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The malaria ecology of northern Kenya differs significantly from the rest of the country. Transmission is highly seasonal and intense, despite the arid environment and low population density. The region faces several threats to malaria control including identification of significant <i>P. vivax</i> infection and an emerging invasive vector species, <i>An. stephensi</i>. Our understanding of malaria in Turkana has evolved significantly in the last 5 years, from being considered low risk and epidemic-prone to being classified as one of the highest transmission areas in the country. Turkana County implemented its first mass bednet distribution in late 2024. Prior to this campaign, we established a surveillance program to understand mosquito density, vector species diversity, host preference and contribution to malaria transmission. We captured mosquitoes in traps baited with CO<sub>2</sub> and human odors in rural and peri-urban areas, indoors and outdoors, over 1 year. Twenty-percent of female anophelines were captured outdoors but the proportion infected with <i>P. falciparum</i> was higher in outdoor collections. <i>An. coluzzii</i>, a vector commonly found in West Africa, was the second most abundant species and had the highest <i>P. falciparum</i> infection rates. These data will be useful in predicting the impact of ITN distribution in this unique context.</p>","PeriodicalId":524169,"journal":{"name":"npj entomology","volume":"1 1","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13483898/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj entomologyPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-10-06DOI: 10.1038/s44434-026-00004-2
Vincent Gallo, Alice D Bridges, Joseph L Woodgate, Lars Chittka
{"title":"Honeybee comb geometry emerges from local redistribution of angular space by worker construction activity.","authors":"Vincent Gallo, Alice D Bridges, Joseph L Woodgate, Lars Chittka","doi":"10.1038/s44434-026-00004-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44434-026-00004-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Honeybee comb is unique among animal architectures in its strikingly regular hexagonal cells, yet how this geometry emerges remains debated. Do bees construct perfect hexagons from the outset, or does regularity arise through later adjustments? We examined comb-building dynamics by presenting honeybees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) with wax stimuli that constrained cell placement and angular space. Across three experiments, we tested predictions about how bees distribute the available angular range at cell junctions, shape cell bases, and correct irregularities over time. Initially, cells were uneven, with curved walls and variable angles. When the angular space was restricted to 180°, bees built cells with 90° internal angles; as construction progressed and barriers eroded, angles shifted toward 120°, equalizing the 360° range among three adjoining cells. Similarly, opposed cells formed flat bases orthogonal to side walls (≈90°), contrasting with the pyramidal bases of natural comb. When separate tongues of comb merged, cells at junctions were highly irregular, but subsequent work significantly reduced disparities in wall angles and cell size. These findings reveal that honeycomb cell geometry emerges through a self-organizing process: bees iteratively redistribute space and adjust cell boundaries until equilibrium is achieved. This dynamic optimization explains the iconic hexagonal pattern without invoking complex cognitive strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":524169,"journal":{"name":"npj entomology","volume":"1 1","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13638468/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149123049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}