Pub Date : 2021-06-01DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.30
Joseph B. Davis, C. Bibbs, G. Müller, R. Xue
ABSTRACT: Attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB) are a novel and effective mosquito control tool based on sugar-feeding behaviors and oral ingestion. In general, there is a demand from consumers for more novel control products with more effective active ingredients. Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTi) is a major larvicide for control of mosquito larvae. This study evaluated BTi as an active ingredient of toxic sugar baits (TSB) against adult Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus, compared with a positive control of 1% boric acid toxic sugar bait. Ingestion of BTi TSB by female mosquitoes resulted in an average mortality at 48 h of 97% for Ae. aegypti, 98% for Ae. albopictus, and 100% for Cx. quinquefasciatus. The study findings suggest ingestible BTi TSBs could be a viable alternative to current mosquito control strategies and programs against adults of these three species of mosquitoes.
{"title":"Evaluation of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis as toxic sugar bait against adult Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes","authors":"Joseph B. Davis, C. Bibbs, G. Müller, R. Xue","doi":"10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.30","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.30","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT: Attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB) are a novel and effective mosquito control tool based on sugar-feeding behaviors and oral ingestion. In general, there is a demand from consumers for more novel control products with more effective active ingredients. Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTi) is a major larvicide for control of mosquito larvae. This study evaluated BTi as an active ingredient of toxic sugar baits (TSB) against adult Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus, compared with a positive control of 1% boric acid toxic sugar bait. Ingestion of BTi TSB by female mosquitoes resulted in an average mortality at 48 h of 97% for Ae. aegypti, 98% for Ae. albopictus, and 100% for Cx. quinquefasciatus. The study findings suggest ingestible BTi TSBs could be a viable alternative to current mosquito control strategies and programs against adults of these three species of mosquitoes.","PeriodicalId":49961,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vector Ecology","volume":"46 1","pages":"30 - 33"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48298893","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}
Pub Date : 2021-06-01DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.103
Berna Demirci, Hilal Bedir, M. Akiner
ABSTRACT: Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) has a widespread distribution that includes both temperate and tropical climates. It is a potential vector of several important worldwide arboviruses, including chikungunya, zika, and dengue, and its geographical distribution expands rapidly. Despite its vectorial importance, the bioecological features of this species in newly established environments are still not very well known. Thus, this study investigated phenotypic variations among Ae. albopictus populations from different regions in Turkey. This is the first comparative morphological study of Ae. albopictus populations in Turkey. The procrustes distances phenogram derived from wing data indicates that the shape differences among some populations and the population from the Aegean coast differ from the Black Sea populations. Size differences were also detected between some populations.
{"title":"Landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis of wing size and wing shape among Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) populations in Turkey","authors":"Berna Demirci, Hilal Bedir, M. Akiner","doi":"10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.103","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT: Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) has a widespread distribution that includes both temperate and tropical climates. It is a potential vector of several important worldwide arboviruses, including chikungunya, zika, and dengue, and its geographical distribution expands rapidly. Despite its vectorial importance, the bioecological features of this species in newly established environments are still not very well known. Thus, this study investigated phenotypic variations among Ae. albopictus populations from different regions in Turkey. This is the first comparative morphological study of Ae. albopictus populations in Turkey. The procrustes distances phenogram derived from wing data indicates that the shape differences among some populations and the population from the Aegean coast differ from the Black Sea populations. Size differences were also detected between some populations.","PeriodicalId":49961,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vector Ecology","volume":"46 1","pages":"103 - 111"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48672105","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}
Pub Date : 2021-06-01DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.70
D. Bravo-Barriga, Antonio P. Gouveia de Almeida, S. Delacour-Estrella, R. E. Peña, J. Lucientes, J. M. Sánchez-Murillo, E. Frontera
ABSTRACT: An important element of vector control and surveillance of mosquito-borne diseases is updated information on vector species distribution. The aim of this study was to collect available information about mosquito species reported in Extremadura between 1920 and 2020 and create a catalog that would combine both published data and our recent field identifications. An exhaustive list is hereby presented, including species status and detailed distribution maps at a municipal level as well as their importance for public health. A total of 33 species, classified into five genera: Anopheles (five species), Aedes (14), Culex (nine), Culiseta (four), and Orthopodomyia (one) has been recorded, including 31 autochthonous, one invasive, Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus, and one disappeared since 1953, Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti. For the first time in Extremadura, we report the presence of important vectors such as Aedes (Aedimorphus) vexans vexans and Culex (Culex) perexiguus, and the new record of six species in the province of Badajoz, namely: Aedes (Dahliana) echinus, Aedes (Fredwardsius) vittatus, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) berlandi, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) pulcritarsis, Culex (Culex) mimeticus, and Culiseta (Culiseta) subochrea. Nineteen of these species are potential vectors of medical and veterinary relevance.
{"title":"Mosquito fauna in Extremadura (western Spain): Updated catalog with new records, distribution maps, and medical relevance","authors":"D. Bravo-Barriga, Antonio P. Gouveia de Almeida, S. Delacour-Estrella, R. E. Peña, J. Lucientes, J. M. Sánchez-Murillo, E. Frontera","doi":"10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.70","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.70","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT: An important element of vector control and surveillance of mosquito-borne diseases is updated information on vector species distribution. The aim of this study was to collect available information about mosquito species reported in Extremadura between 1920 and 2020 and create a catalog that would combine both published data and our recent field identifications. An exhaustive list is hereby presented, including species status and detailed distribution maps at a municipal level as well as their importance for public health. A total of 33 species, classified into five genera: Anopheles (five species), Aedes (14), Culex (nine), Culiseta (four), and Orthopodomyia (one) has been recorded, including 31 autochthonous, one invasive, Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus, and one disappeared since 1953, Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti. For the first time in Extremadura, we report the presence of important vectors such as Aedes (Aedimorphus) vexans vexans and Culex (Culex) perexiguus, and the new record of six species in the province of Badajoz, namely: Aedes (Dahliana) echinus, Aedes (Fredwardsius) vittatus, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) berlandi, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) pulcritarsis, Culex (Culex) mimeticus, and Culiseta (Culiseta) subochrea. Nineteen of these species are potential vectors of medical and veterinary relevance.","PeriodicalId":49961,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vector Ecology","volume":"46 1","pages":"70 - 82"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43273696","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}
Pub Date : 2021-06-01DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.2
B. Mullens, M. Metzger, A. Gerry, R. Russell, Major S. Dhillon
The field of vector ecology has lost one of its most prominent, dedicated, productive, and beloved scientists. Dr. William E. (Bill) Walton, Professor of Entomology, passed away at the UC Irvine Medical Center on October 18, 2020 from B Cell Lymphoma. He was 64 years old. Bill was accomplished and active in more roles than most scientists are willing to tackle. However, the Society for Vector Ecology (SOVE), with its dual mission to learn about vectors and also manage them for the betterment of human health and well being, was in our opinion most important to him. A gifted teacher, Bill was nevertheless at heart a researcher, and his research epitomizes what SOVE is all about. So, while we will touch on his other professional contributions, this tribute will particularly attempt to summarize aspects of his research career that have been most impactful in the field of vector ecology. A more traditional obituary was published by Mullens et al. (2020). For a much more complete listing and discussion of Bill’s publications and research activities, the readers are directed to a pending paper (Metzger, submitted).
{"title":"A Celebration of the Career of Dr. William E. WaltonSeptember 1, 1956 - October 18, 2020","authors":"B. Mullens, M. Metzger, A. Gerry, R. Russell, Major S. Dhillon","doi":"10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.2","url":null,"abstract":"The field of vector ecology has lost one of its most prominent, dedicated, productive, and beloved scientists. Dr. William E. (Bill) Walton, Professor of Entomology, passed away at the UC Irvine Medical Center on October 18, 2020 from B Cell Lymphoma. He was 64 years old. Bill was accomplished and active in more roles than most scientists are willing to tackle. However, the Society for Vector Ecology (SOVE), with its dual mission to learn about vectors and also manage them for the betterment of human health and well being, was in our opinion most important to him. A gifted teacher, Bill was nevertheless at heart a researcher, and his research epitomizes what SOVE is all about. So, while we will touch on his other professional contributions, this tribute will particularly attempt to summarize aspects of his research career that have been most impactful in the field of vector ecology. A more traditional obituary was published by Mullens et al. (2020). For a much more complete listing and discussion of Bill’s publications and research activities, the readers are directed to a pending paper (Metzger, submitted).","PeriodicalId":49961,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vector Ecology","volume":"46 1","pages":"2 - 11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47150391","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}
Global climate change and the accompanying rise in temperature could affect the biology and ecology of a number of vectors, including mosquitoes. High altitude areas that were previously unsuitable for the spread of mosquito vector populations could become suitable. The aim of this research was to study the distribution of mosquito species in higher altitude regions of Croatia. Samples were collected in three areas: Slavonian Mountains, Gorski Kotar, and Middle Velebit. Specimens were morphologically determined and confirmed by DNA barcoding and other genetic markers and showed the presence of 16 species belonging to six genera. The most abundant species were the Culex pipiens complex with 50% of the collected specimens. Both pipiens (Linnaeus, 1758) and molestus (Forskal, 1775) biotypes and their hybrids were identified within the complex, followed by Culex torrentium (Martini, 1925) (20.2%), Culiseta longiareolata (Macquart, 1838) (8.5%), and the invasive species Aedes japonicus (Theobald, 1901) (7.8% of the total number of collected specimens). The remaining 12 species made up 14.7% of the collected specimens. Intraspecific COI p-distances were within the standard barcoding threshold for OTUs, while interspecific genetic distances were much higher, confirming the existence of barcoding gaps. Mosquito fauna of Croatian mountains showed a moderate variety and made 30.8% of the total number of recorded mosquito species in Croatia thus far.
{"title":"Diversity of mosquito fauna (Diptera, Culicidae) in higher-altitude regions of Croatia.","authors":"Nataša Bušić, Mladen Kučinić, Enrih Merdić, Branka Bruvo-Mađarić","doi":"10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.65","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.65","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Global climate change and the accompanying rise in temperature could affect the biology and ecology of a number of vectors, including mosquitoes. High altitude areas that were previously unsuitable for the spread of mosquito vector populations could become suitable. The aim of this research was to study the distribution of mosquito species in higher altitude regions of Croatia. Samples were collected in three areas: Slavonian Mountains, Gorski Kotar, and Middle Velebit. Specimens were morphologically determined and confirmed by DNA barcoding and other genetic markers and showed the presence of 16 species belonging to six genera. The most abundant species were the <i>Culex pipiens</i> complex with 50% of the collected specimens. Both <i>pipiens</i> (Linnaeus, 1758) and <i>molestus</i> (Forskal, 1775) biotypes and their hybrids were identified within the complex, followed by <i>Culex torrentium</i> (Martini, 1925) (20.2%), <i>Culiseta longiareolata</i> (Macquart, 1838) (8.5%), and the invasive species <i>Aedes japonicus</i> (Theobald, 1901) (7.8% of the total number of collected specimens). The remaining 12 species made up 14.7% of the collected specimens. Intraspecific COI p-distances were within the standard barcoding threshold for OTUs, while interspecific genetic distances were much higher, confirming the existence of barcoding gaps. Mosquito fauna of Croatian mountains showed a moderate variety and made 30.8% of the total number of recorded mosquito species in Croatia thus far.</p>","PeriodicalId":49961,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vector Ecology","volume":"46 1","pages":"65-75"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10871727","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}
Pub Date : 2021-06-01DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.48
J. Belthoff, Andrew A. Elgin, Kara A. Navock, S. A. Bernhardt
ABSTRACT: During the course of a plague epizootic, decimation of rodent host populations may result in the transfer of fleas to alternate or phoretic hosts, including to sympatric raptors that prey on rodents. We studied flea abundance and flea species assemblages on burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) in southwestern Idaho before (2012 – 2014), during (2015 – 2016), and after (2017) an epizootic of plague in Piute ground squirrels (Urocitellis mollis). We examined (1) if a larger proportion of burrowing owl nests contained fleas, (2) the likelihood that owls within a high flea abundance class increased, and (3) if owls harbored ground squirrel fleas during the epizootic. Using a flea abundance index assigned to 1,184 owls from 236 nests, the proportion of nests and the likelihood that owls had high flea abundance decreased rather than increased during epizootic years. Moreover, of 3,538 collected fleas from owls at 143 nests, no fleas were species that Piute ground squirrels typically harbor. Instead, Pulex irritans was the predominant flea collected in all study years (> 99%). Thus, although raptors may play a role in plague, there was no evidence that the die-off of ground squirrels resulted in higher flea intensity in burrowing owls or that they served as frequent accidental or phoretic hosts for ground squirrel fleas that could potentially be infectious with Yersinia pestis.
{"title":"Burrowing owls as potential phoretic hosts of ground squirrel fleas during a plague epizootic","authors":"J. Belthoff, Andrew A. Elgin, Kara A. Navock, S. A. Bernhardt","doi":"10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.48","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.48","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT: During the course of a plague epizootic, decimation of rodent host populations may result in the transfer of fleas to alternate or phoretic hosts, including to sympatric raptors that prey on rodents. We studied flea abundance and flea species assemblages on burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) in southwestern Idaho before (2012 – 2014), during (2015 – 2016), and after (2017) an epizootic of plague in Piute ground squirrels (Urocitellis mollis). We examined (1) if a larger proportion of burrowing owl nests contained fleas, (2) the likelihood that owls within a high flea abundance class increased, and (3) if owls harbored ground squirrel fleas during the epizootic. Using a flea abundance index assigned to 1,184 owls from 236 nests, the proportion of nests and the likelihood that owls had high flea abundance decreased rather than increased during epizootic years. Moreover, of 3,538 collected fleas from owls at 143 nests, no fleas were species that Piute ground squirrels typically harbor. Instead, Pulex irritans was the predominant flea collected in all study years (> 99%). Thus, although raptors may play a role in plague, there was no evidence that the die-off of ground squirrels resulted in higher flea intensity in burrowing owls or that they served as frequent accidental or phoretic hosts for ground squirrel fleas that could potentially be infectious with Yersinia pestis.","PeriodicalId":49961,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vector Ecology","volume":"46 1","pages":"48 - 56"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43335362","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}
Pub Date : 2021-06-01DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.112
M. Aardema, Kelly I. Zimmerman
{"title":"The establishment of a new autogenous line of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, from its current northern range limit in the United States","authors":"M. Aardema, Kelly I. Zimmerman","doi":"10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52707/1081-1710-46.1.112","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49961,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vector Ecology","volume":"46 1","pages":"112 - 115"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48843719","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}