A little on the nose: A mosquito targets the nostrils of tree frogs for a blood meal

IF 16.4 1区 化学 Q1 CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY Accounts of Chemical Research Pub Date : 2023-11-21 DOI:10.1111/eth.13424
John Gould, Jose W. Valdez
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Abstract

As the females of most mosquitoes require a blood meal to provision their eggs, they can be a vector of parasites and pathogens that have profound impacts on both animal and human populations. Understanding the interactions between mosquitoes and their hosts, including animal and feeding site preferences, could thus provide valuable insights into disease transmission. In this study, we present a highly specific feeding strategy observed in a mosquito from Australia (Mimomyia elegans). Over 3 years of fieldwork, we found this mosquito feeding exclusively on the nostrils when using several amphibian species as hosts. Mosquitoes were observed initially landing on the backs of hosts before walking towards the nostrils, potentially minimizing detection and mitigating the risk of predation or defensive responses. This remarkable level of feeding site specificity suggests strong selection pressures that are causing the nostril to be the optimal location for blood extraction on amphibians. Possible explanations include the presence of thinner, more accessible skin tissue or enhanced vascular properties in the nostril region. Understanding mosquito host preferences, points of contact and feeding site specificity could provide valuable insights into disease transmission among amphibians, as mosquitoes have been identified as potential vectors of pathogens like the amphibian chytrid fungus.

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鼻子上的一点:一只蚊子瞄准树蛙的鼻孔吸血
由于大多数雌性蚊子需要吸血来产卵,它们可能是寄生虫和病原体的载体,对动物和人类种群都有深远的影响。因此,了解蚊子与其宿主之间的相互作用,包括动物和觅食地点的偏好,可以为疾病传播提供有价值的见解。在这项研究中,我们提出了一种在澳大利亚的一种蚊子(Mimomyia elegans)中观察到的高度特异性的摄食策略。在3年的田野调查中,我们发现这种蚊子在以几种两栖动物为宿主时,只以鼻孔为食。观察到蚊子最初落在宿主的背上,然后走向鼻孔,这可能最大限度地减少发现并减轻捕食或防御反应的风险。这种显著的取血部位特异性表明,强大的选择压力使鼻孔成为两栖动物取血的最佳位置。可能的解释包括存在更薄、更容易接触的皮肤组织或鼻孔区域血管特性增强。了解蚊子的宿主偏好、接触点和取食部位特异性可以为两栖动物之间的疾病传播提供有价值的见解,因为蚊子已被确定为两栖动物壶菌等病原体的潜在载体。
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来源期刊
Accounts of Chemical Research
Accounts of Chemical Research 化学-化学综合
CiteScore
31.40
自引率
1.10%
发文量
312
审稿时长
2 months
期刊介绍: Accounts of Chemical Research presents short, concise and critical articles offering easy-to-read overviews of basic research and applications in all areas of chemistry and biochemistry. These short reviews focus on research from the author’s own laboratory and are designed to teach the reader about a research project. In addition, Accounts of Chemical Research publishes commentaries that give an informed opinion on a current research problem. Special Issues online are devoted to a single topic of unusual activity and significance. Accounts of Chemical Research replaces the traditional article abstract with an article "Conspectus." These entries synopsize the research affording the reader a closer look at the content and significance of an article. Through this provision of a more detailed description of the article contents, the Conspectus enhances the article's discoverability by search engines and the exposure for the research.
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