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Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been endemic in northern Tunisia and has occurred sporadically in the center of Tunisia. Recently, there have been several cases from areas known to be free of VL. We report in this work all human and canine cases of VL recorded between 2003 and 2011 and an entomological study of phlebotomine fauna in a previously non-endemic region. Sixty-three cases of VL were diagnosed and identified as L. infantum using several different methods. Eight species of 179 sand flies were caught and identified by both morphological and molecular methods. Two genera were present, Phlebotomus and Sergentomya, with an abundance of the subgenus Phlebotomus (Larrousius) spp., a classic vector of VL in Tunisia. Moreover, Leishmania DNA was detected in seven unfed Phlebotomus pernicousus and L. infantum was identified in three of them. This result confirms the establishment of a transmission cycle of VL in the studied region by the coexistence of infected vectors with infected hosts.
Kathleen M. Maloney, Jenny Ancca-Juarez, Renzo Salazar, Katty Borrini-Mayori, Malwina Niemierko, Joshua O. Yukich, Cesar Naquira, Joseph A. Keating, Michael Z. Levy
The vector of Chagas disease, Triatoma infestans, is largely controlled by the household application of pyrethroid insecticides. Because effective, large-scale insecticide application is costly and necessitates numerous trained personnel, alternative control techniques are badly needed. We compared the residual effect of organophosphate-based insecticidal paint (Inesfly 5A IGR™ (I5A)) to standard deltamethrin, and a negative control, against T. infestans in a simulated natural environment. We evaluated mortality, knockdown, and ability to take a blood meal among 5th instar nymphs. I5A paint caused significantly greater mortality at time points up to nine months compared to deltamethrin (Fisher's Exact Test, p < 0.01 in all instances). A year following application, mortality among nymphs in the I5A was similar to those in the deltamethrin (χ2 = 0.76, df=1, p < 0.76). At months 0 and 1 after application, fewer nymphs exposed to deltamethrin took a blood meal compared to insects exposed to paint (Fisher's Exact Tests, p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). Insecticidal paint may provide an easily-applied means of protection against vectors of Chagas disease.
The resting sites of tropical American mosquitoes are poorly documented, and the few reports that do exist are largely from opportunistic collections. Since blood-engorged females (used in determining host associations) are more efficiently collected from resting sites than attractive traps, information on resting site utilization has practical value. To investigate differences in the resting sites utilized by tropical mosquitoes, we collected and identified female mosquitoes from one man-made (resting shelter) and three natural (buttress tree roots, hollow trees, and understory vegetation) resting environments at a tropical dry forest location in western Costa Rica. All of the most common species collected demonstrated associations with one or more resting environments. Females of five species (blood-engorged Anopheles albimanus, Uranotaenia apicalis, Uranotaenia lowii, Uranotaenia orthodoxa, and blood-engorged Mansonia titillans) were collected in significantly greater numbers from understory vegetation than other resting environments. Culex erraticus and other members of the subgenus Melanoconion were encountered more often in resting shelters, hollow trees, and buttress roots, while Culex restrictor (blood-engorged) females were associated with hollow trees. Similarity indices indicate that buttress tree roots, hollow trees, and resting shelters are similar with respect to the mosquito communities that utilize them as resting sites, while understory vegetation has a resting fauna that is different than the other environments surveyed here. These results add to the body of information regarding resting sites utilized by tropical American mosquitoes.
The survival rate of mosquitoes is an important topic that affects many aspects of decision-making in mosquito management. This study aims to estimate the variability in the survival rate of Ae. aegypti, and climate factors that are related to such variability. It is generally assumed that the daily probability of mosquito survival is independent of natural environment conditions and age. To test this assumption, a three-year fieldwork (2005–2007) and experimental study was conducted at Fortaleza-CE in Brazil with the aim of estimating daily survival rates of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti under natural conditions in an urban city. Survival rates of mosquitoes may be age-dependent and statistical analysis is a sensitive approach for comparing patterns of mosquito survival. We studied whether weather conditions occurring on a particular day influence the mortality observed on that particular day. We therefore focused on the impact of daily meteorological fluctuations around a given climate average, rather than on the influence of climate itself. With regard to survival time, multivariate analyses using the stepwise logistic regression model, adjusted for daily temperature, relative humidity, and saturated vapor pressure deficit (SVPD), suggest that age, the seasonal factor, and the SVPD were the most dependent mortality factors. Similar results were obtained using the Cox proportional hazard model, which explores the relationships between the survival and explanatory variables.
Siriporn Phasomkusolsil, Jaruwan Tawong, Nantaporn Monkanna, Kanchana Pantuwatana, Nuttapon Damdangdee, Weeraphan Khongtak, Yossasin Kertmanee, Brian P. Evans, Anthony L. Schuster
Artificial membrane-feeding techniques have replaced direct feeding on animals for the maintenance of malaria and arbovirus vectors in many laboratories. Membrane feeding facilitates controlled experimentation of pathogen transmission during mosquito feeding. Sheep blood is commonly used due to its availability and low cost. We evaluated the impact of blood source (human, guinea pig, sheep, and hamster via direct feeding) on feeding rates, adult survival, fecundity, hatching rates, and developmental times for five species of laboratory-colonized mosquitoes (Anopheles dirus, An. cracens, An. minimus, An. sawadwongporni, and Ae. aegypti). We found that feeding rates differ among blood sources within mosquito species. Survival, fecundity, and hatching rates were lower in all Anopheles species and Ae. aegypti after membrane feeding on sheep blood. Survival rates seven days post-feeding on sheep blood were significantly lower (P<0.05) for An. dirus (84.2%), An. minimus (67.2%), An. sawadwongporni (51.5%), and An. cracens (35.5%) relative to other blood sources. An. minimus and An. sawadwongporni laid no eggs by seven days post-feeding with sheep blood, while An. dirus and An. cracens produced significantly fewer numbers of eggs and demonstrated significantly lower hatching rates relative to what was observed with the other blood sources. These findings support the conclusion that sheep blood is not a suitable blood source for laboratory rearing of Anopheles spp.
The use of insect pathogens is a viable alternative for insect control because of their relative specificity and lower environmental impact. The search for wild strains against dipterans could have an impact on mosquito control programs. We have made an extensive screening of soil in western Cuba to find bacteria with larvicidal activity against mosquitoes. A total of 150 soil samples were collected and isolates were identifying using the API 50 CHB gallery. Phenotypic characteristics were analyzed by hierarchical ascending classification. Quantitative bioassays were conducted under laboratory conditions following the World Health Organization protocol in order to ascertain the toxicity and efficacy of isolates. The protein profiles of the crystal components were determined by SDS-PAGE. Eight hundred and eighty-one bacterial isolates were obtained, and 13 isolates with entomopathogenic activity were isolated from nine samples. Nine isolates displayed higher entomopathogenic activity against both Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti compared with the reference strain 266/2. All toxic isolates showed higher biological potency than the 266/2 strain. These isolates with high entomopathogenic activity displayed a protein pattern similar to the B. thuringiensis var. israelensis IPS-82 and 266/2 strains. These results are a valuable tool for the control of Diptera of medical importance.
Coastal realignment is now widely instituted in the UK as part of local flood risk management plans to compensate for the loss of European protected habitat and to mitigate the effects of sea-level rise and coastal squeeze. Coastal aquatic habitats have long been known to provide suitable habitats for brackish-water mosquitoes and historically, coastal marshes were considered to support anopheline mosquito populations that were responsible for local malaria transmission. This study surveyed the eight largest managed realignment (MRA) sites in England (Essex and the Humber) for mosquito habitats. The apparent absence of anopheline mosquitoes exploiting aquatic habitats at all of these sites suggests that the risk of malaria associated with MRA sites is currently negligible. However, three of the eight sites supported populations of two nuisance and potential arboviral vector species, Aedes detritus and Aedes caspius. The aquatic habitats that supported mosquitoes resulted from a) specific design aspects of the new sea wall (ballast to mitigate wave action and constructed saline borrow ditches) that could be designed out or managed or b) isolated pools created through silt accretion or expansion of flooded zones to neighbouring pasture. The public health risks and recommendations for management are discussed in this report. This report highlights the need for pro-active public health impact assessments prior to MRA development in consultation with the Health Protection Agency, as well as the need for a case-by-case approach to design and management to mitigate mosquito or mosquito-borne disease issues now and in the future.
We report the results of control measures introduced to reduce the density of sand flies in domiciles and subsequent monitoring of the effects of these measures on the sand fly populations. The most common species of sand flies were Nyssomyia neivai and Nyssomyia whitmani, which are naturally infected by Leishmania. A total of 268,382 (93.4%) sand flies were collected in ecotypes constructed with the aim of attracting sand flies, and 19,091 (6.6%) sand flies were collected in the ecotypes consisting of residences and other buildings. Human actions determine the growth or reduction of the sand fly population in human-occupied space. Understanding the dynamics of sand flies in this environment can substantially contribute to the prevention of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Strelkovimermis spiculatus (Poinar and Camino 1986) is a nematode parasite of mosquitoes isolated from the Neotropical region. We investigated the host range of this parasite in mosquito populations for a better understanding of the dynamics of temporary breeding sites. Five grassy-pool habitats filled by rainwater were sampled from the summer 2007 through the fall 2008. Eight mosquito species were collected: Anopheles albitarsis, Culex chidesteri, Culex dolosus, Culex maxi, Aedes albifasciatus, Psorophora ciliata, Psorophora cyanescens, and Psorophora albigenu. Six of these species were parasitized: Cx. chidesteri, Cx. dolosus, Cx. maxi, Ae. albifasciatus, Ps. ciliata, and Ps. cyanescens. The occurrence of this mermithid in natural mosquito populations was increased from the end of winter to the end of the spring. Prevalence ranged from 11% to 100%. High levels of infections were registered only in Ae. albifasciatus larvae, the most abundant mosquito species (95%), followed by Cx. dolosus (2.7%). Strelkovimermis spiculatus completed its development in all infected mosquito larvae. The presence of S. spiculatus in six natural mosquito populations increases the number of susceptible species to 24.
The geographic distribution of Amblyomma americanum (the lone star tick) has increased as has its role as a pathogen vector. The objectives of this study were to determine seasonal activity patterns of each life stage of A. americanum in the northwestern part of the species range and the relationship of these activity patterns among life stages and degree days. Tick activity was monitored over four years since 2007 in a forest and old field habitat located in northeast Missouri. Every other week from February to December, ticks were collected using bait and drag methods. Autocorrelations demonstrated yearly seasonal patterns in each life stage and cross-correlations between life stages depicted a relationship between activity at a life stage and the previous stage's activity. Cross-correlations indicated that degree days were related to activity. These data indicated that A. americanum generally complete their life cycle in a minimum of two years in northeast Missouri, with overwintering occurring predominantly in the nymphal and adult stages. These data provide a baseline to compare the life cycle of A. americanum in northeast Missouri to populations in different parts of the species range or at different times in the region.
Integrated management of mosquitoes is becoming increasingly important, particularly in relation to avoiding recolonization of ponds after larvicide treatment. We conducted for the first time field experiments that involved exposing natural populations of the mosquito species Culex pipiens to: a) application of the biological insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), b) the introduction of natural competitors (a crustacean community composed mainly of Daphnia spp.), or c) a combined treatment that involved both introduction of a crustacean community and the application of Bti. The treatment that involved only the introduction of crustaceans had no significant effect on mosquito larval populations, while treatment with Bti alone caused only a significant reduction in the abundance of mosquito larvae in the short-term (within 3–10 days after treatment). In contrast, the combined treatment rapidly reduced the abundance of mosquito larvae, which remained low throughout the entire observation period of 28 days. Growth of the introduced crustacean communities was favored by the immediate reduction in the abundance of mosquito larvae following Bti administration, thus preventing recolonization of ponds by mosquito larvae at the late period (days 14–28 after treatment). Both competition and the temporal order of establishment of different species are hence important mechanisms for efficient and sustainable mosquito control.
We describe and compare the morphology and morphometry of the egg exochorion for five species and two morphotypes of Mexican triatomines with scanning electron microscopy. The results show differences in egg ornamentation for each species, including between morphotypes. Polygonal ornamentation was observed in each species, including pentagons, octagons and, in certain cases, a majority of hexagons. We observed small perforations in T. protracta protracta, small spheres on the T. lecticularia polygons, a crown with festoons in T. barberi, and less complex ornamentation in T. mexicana. Through morphometric analysis, significant differences in egg dimensions were determined for the studied species.
An entomological study was conducted from June to September, 2010 in rural regions of Azarbayjan-e-sharqi, Azarbayjan-eqarbi, and Ardabil provinces in northwestern Iran to determine sand fly fauna, diversity, and distribution in different habitats and altitudes using both sticky papers and light traps. Geographical distribution of sand flies and the similarity of populations in different locations were analyzed ecologically based on the Shannon-Wiener Index and Jacard Coefficient, respectively. A total of 3,982 specimens was collected and sixteen species recorded. They belonged to the genera Phlebotomus [subgenus Phlebotomus (P. papatasi), Paraphlebotomus (P. sergenti, P. mongolensis, P. caucasicus, P. jacusieli), Larroussius (P. major s.l., P. tobbi, P. perfiliewi transcaucasicus, P. kandelakii) and Adlerius (P. halepensis, P. brevis, P. longiductus, P. balcanicus)], and Sergentomyia [subgenus Sergentomyia (S. sintoni, S.dentata and S. theodori)]. P. papatasi was the predominant species in all the locations except Bileh Savar, Macu, and Meshkin Shahr, followed by P. perfiliewi transcaucasicus and P. kandelakii. The latter species were caught from different habitats and altitudes with higher frequency than other species of the subgenus Larroussius. The lowest abundance belonged to P. jacusieli. The predominant species of subgenus Adlerius was P. halepensis. Data analysis showed that Meshkin Shahr and Bileh Savar had high and low diversities of sand fly distribution, respectively. Meshkin Shahr and Sarab districts had the highest similarity. Both are located in the foothills of Sabalan Mountain, with high diversity and richness.
Malaria remains a public health problem in Ghana, with Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus as the predominant vectors. While much information exists on the species composition of An. gambiae, very little exists for An. funestus. This study was carried out to determine the species composition of An. funestus Giles populations from three ecological areas in Ghana and investigate their role in malaria transmission. Mosquitoes were collected using human landing and pyrethrum spray methods. A total of 10,254 Anopheles individuals were collected, out of which An. funestus constituted 53.6% (5,496). An. funestus sensu stricto (s.s.) and Anopheles lessoni were identified as the only members of the An. funestus group in all three ecological areas. All 62 sporozoite positive specimens that were identified as An. funestus s.s. were highly anthropophilic with a human blood index in the range of 80–96%, whereas more than 83% of the An. leesoni had fed on either bovine, goat, or sheep. Malaria transmission was higher in the Sahel savannah area than the rest of the ecological zones, with An. funestus s.s. being implicated as a vector of malaria in all ecological zones. Anopheles leesoni occurred in all the ecological areas but played no role in malaria transmission. The study established the importance of An. funestus s.s. in malaria transmission in Ghana.
Variability between Aedes aegypti populations in north Queensland, Australia, has the potential to impact the successful implementation of new population replacement mosquito releases for dengue control. Four Ae. aegypti colonies originating from different locations (Cairns, Mareeba, Innisfail, and Charters Towers), along with one F1 field-derived population from Cairns, were inter-crossed to determine any incompatibilities in copulation, insemination, and production of viable offspring. Greater copulation and insemination rates were observed when males recently introduced from the wild (‘Cairns-Wild’ population) were mated with long-term laboratory females. Egg viability rates for all crosses ranged from 90.2–98.2%, with no significant differences observed between crosses. Greater egg production was seen in some populations, and when corrected for wing-length, egg production was greatest in a Mareeba × Innisfail cross (19.55 eggs/mm wing length) and lowest for the Charters Towers intra-population cross (14.35 eggs/mm). Additionally, behavioral differences were observed between laboratory and wild mosquitoes from the Cairns location, suggesting possible laboratory conditioning. Finally, despite controlled larval rearing conditions, size differences between populations existed with Charters Towers mosquitoes consistently smaller than the other populations. The spread of genes or bacterial symbionts between these populations is unlikely to be hindered by pre-existing reproductive barriers.
Mosquito larval habitat determines the fitness, survivorship, fecundity, and vector capacity of emerging adults. We manipulated larval density and food provisioning in the laboratory to determine their effects on a number of life history parameters of Anopheles gambiae. Larval mortality was positively correlated with larval density. In addition, increased density skewed sex ratios that favored females.
Triatoma patagonica (Del Ponte, 1929) (Hemiptera-Reduviidae) is a peridomestic vector of Chagas disease that has been frequently found colonizing peridomestic structures in several localities in Argentina. Studying relationships between feeding and reproductive factors is important because these traits regulate population density and define vectorial capacity. Since T. patagonica can circulate among peridomestic structures taking blood from both bird and mammal hosts, we evaluated the extent to which different blood meal sources affect food resource use and reproductive parameters. We used 5th instar nymphs and females that fed on either guinea pigs or pigeons to estimate food resource use. We estimated reproductive parameters in adults that fed on these sources. Nymphs and adults showed differences in blood consumption between feeding sources. Females fed on pigeons ingested more blood and needed a higher amount of blood to produce an egg than females fed on guinea pigs. There were no differences in the number of eggs laid and hatched between insects fed on different feeding sources. The higher amount of blood ingested and consumed by T. patagonica fed on pigeons did not translate into higher fecundity or fertility. The lower amount of guinea pig blood ingested was offset by its high nutritional quality.
Joel Lutomiah, Joshua Bast, Jeffrey Clark, Jason Richardson, Santos Yalwala, David Oullo, James Mutisya, Francis Mulwa, Lillian Musila, Samoel Khamadi, David Schnabel, Eyako Wurapa, Rosemary Sang
The diversity of mosquito arbovirus vectors was investigated to define regional risk of arbovirus transmission in Kenya. Mosquitoes were sampled between April, 2007 and December, 2010 at thirteen sites across seven administrative provinces and ecological zones. CDC light traps were used to collect mosquitoes while human-landing collection was conducted in five of the sites to target dayfeeding Aedes (Stegomyia) species. Over 524,000 mosquitoes were collected and identified into 101 species, 30 of them known vectors of arboviruses endemic to Kenya. Ae. (Neomelaniconion) mcintoshi and Ae. (Aedimorphus) ochraceus were most abundant in Garissa in the arid northeastern province, and Mansonia uniformis and Mn. africana in semi-arid Baringo in the Rift Valley Province. Ae. ochraceus, Mn. africana and Mn. uniformis were also significant in Nyanza Province, while Ae. (Neomelaniconion) circumluteolus predominated in Budalangi, Western Province. Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti was predominant in Rabai in the Coast Province but insignificant in the western and Nyanza sites. Culex pipiens was abundant in Rift Valley and Nyanza Provinces around the lake shores. This study highlights the potential for emergence and re-emergence of arboviral diseases among vulnerable populations. This calls for comprehensive mapping of vector distribution and abundance for planning focused vector control measures.
Bioassays in a wind tunnel showed that a combination of four stimuli releases intense host-seeking and blood-feeding behavioral responses from females of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, and the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The stimuli are carbon dioxide, water vapor, warmth, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mosquitoes responded to this combination with a repertoire of blood-feeding behaviors that included upwind flight, landing, probing, and engorgement. Absence of carbon dioxide, water vapor, or ATP from the combination of stimuli or exposure to temperatures 12° C below or above human-host temperature (38° C) significantly attenuated blood-feeding behavior in both species. Although there is literature documenting the individual importance of each of these stimuli, our work represents the first instance where this combination of stimuli was found sufficient to elicit a complete repertoire of blood-feeding behaviors in these mosquitoes without involvement of any host specific odor. When mosquitoes were exposed to the four stimuli along with N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), feeding behavior was greatly suppressed. We hypothesize that a possible mode of action for DEET against these mosquitoes involves interference of warmth and/or water vapor receptors. An electrophysiological study designed to determine if DEET adversely affects the function of these receptors would be illuminating.
Genetic diversity was studied at allozyme loci in two Palearctic and one Nearctic population of Aedimorphus (=Aedes) vexans, a species of public health and veterinary importance. The population from Serbia was the most polymorphic (P = 35%) with the highest observed heterozygosity (Ho = 0.027). The lowest observed heterozygosity (Ho = 0.010) was obtained for the Nearctic population. All analyses based on individual (STRUCTURE analysis) and population level (pairwise FST, Nm values, AMOVA, Nei's D value) revealed significant structuring between Nearctic and Palearctic populations, indicating a lack of gene flow and thus, the presence of independent gene pools. Taxon-specific alleles at the diagnostic Ao, Hk-2, Hk-3, Hk-4, Idh-1, and Idh-2 loci were used for identification and separation of Nearctic and Palearctic populations. Population genetics study provided valuable information on the correct distinction of Am.vexans populations and their adaptive potential that could find a future use in the studies of vector competence and development of vector-control strategies.
The nymphal stage of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae), is responsible for most transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, to humans in North America. From 2010 to fall of 2012, we compared two commonly used techniques, flagging and dragging, as sampling methods for nymphal I. scapularis at three sites, each with multiple sampling arrays (grids), in the eastern and central United States. Flagging and dragging collected comparable numbers of nymphs, with no consistent differences between methods. Dragging collected more nymphs than flagging in some samples, but these differences were not consistent among sites or sampling years. The ratio of nymphs collected by flagging vs dragging was not significantly related to shrub density, so habitat type did not have a strong effect on the relative efficacy of these methods. Therefore, although dragging collected more ticks in a few cases, the numbers collected by each method were so variable that neither technique had a clear advantage for sampling nymphal I. scapularis.
This study assessed the risk of larval displacement of the eastern treehole mosquito, Aedes triseriatus, and the northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens, by Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, during the establishment and successional stages of novel larval mosquito treehole and ground-container habitats in the state of New Jersey, U.S.A. Culex pipiens and Culex restuans were the first mosquito species to colonize ground-container habitats and were the dominant larval species throughout the study period, whereas Ae. albopictus was late to colonize ground habitats and accounted for less than 15% of weekly larval collections once established. Ae. albopictus had a much stronger community presence within treehole ovitraps; however, Ae. albopictus never reached the average larval densities of the expected primary colonizer, Ae. triseriatus. Throughout the study period, the weekly abundances of Ae. triseriatus and Ae. albopictus were positively correlated and there were no significant differences between the abundances of each species. The larval dominance of Ae. triseriatus appears to be enhanced by the presence of Toxorhynchites rutilus septentrionalis, a large predatory mosquito species. When Tx. rut. septentrionalis was present, mature larvae (3rd-4th instar) of Ae. albopictus were also present in only 16.7% of collections, whereas mature larvae of Ae. triseriatus were collected concurrently with Tx. rut. septentrionalis in 53.8% of collections. These data suggest that Ae. triseriatus is at a greater risk of displacement by Ae. albopictus than are Cx. pipiens and Cx. restuans.
Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti is considered to be the most important dengue vector worldwide. Studies were conducted to design and evaluate a chemically-based baited ovitrap for monitoring Ae. aegypti under laboratory conditions. Several known chemical attractants and three types of ovitraps (ovitraps A, B, and C) were evaluated throughout the oviposition bioassays. Oviposition responses of gravid female Ae. aegypti were evaluated to n-heneicosane, 3-methylindole (skatole), 4-methylphenol (p-cresol), and phenol. Female Ae. aegypti were attracted to all the evaluated compounds. Among them, n-heneicosane at a concentration of 10 ppm (mg/l), skatole from 50 to 1000 ppm, p-cresol at 100 ppm, and phenol at 50 ppm showed a significant positive oviposition response. A blend of the four chemical attractants increased the oviposition response; 67% of the eggs were deposited in the treatment compared to the control. Female Ae. aegypti were significantly more attracted to ovitrap A loaded with the four-component synthetic blend compared to the standard ovitrap in the oviposition bioassays. The compound used in ovitrap A retained its attractant property for up to three days. The chemically-based baited ovitrap may be considered as an option to be integrated during the monitoring of dengue virus vectors in México.
The impact of the presence of larval mosquito pathogens with potential for biological control on oviposition choice was evaluated for three mosquito species/pathogen pairs present in Florida. These included Aedes aegypti infected with Edhazardia aedis, Aedes albopictus infected with Vavraia culicis, and Culex quinquefasciatus infected with Culex nigripalpus nucleopolyhedrovirus (CuniNPV). Two-choice oviposition bioassays were performed on each host and pathogen species with one oviposition cup containing infected larvae and the other cup containing uninfected larvae (control). Both uninfected and E. aedis-infected female Ae. aegypti laid significantly fewer eggs in oviposition cups containing infected larvae. Uninfected gravid female Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus oviposited equally in cups containing uninfected larvae or containing larvae infected with V. culicis or CuniNPV, respectively. Gravid female Ae. albopictus infected with V. culicis did not display ovarian development and did not lay eggs. The decreased oviposition by gravid Ae. aegypti in containers containing E. aedis-infected larvae may indicate that the infected larvae produce chemicals deterring oviposition.
Edelberto Santos Dias, Érika Monteiro Michalsky, João Cezar do Nascimento, Eduardo de Castro Ferreira, Josiane Valadão Lopes, Consuelo Latorre Fortes-Dias
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