A Low-Powered and Highly Selective Trap for Male Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) Surveillance: The Male Aedes Sound Trap

Abstract As Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, Diptera: Culicidae) expands its global distribution and vectors a range of debilitating arboviruses there is an increased need for enhanced mosquito surveillance. Consequently, we developed a Male Aedes Sound Trap (MAST) that requires minimal power and is highly species-specific. Two different versions of the MAST were developed, one that uses synthetic pyrethroid to kill captured mosquitoes (MAST Spray) and another which has an internal divider to create a killing chamber in which a sticky panel can be placed to capture mosquitoes (MAST Sticky). We compared weekly capture rates of male Ae. aegypti and bycatch from the two MAST versions to those from BG-Sentinel (BGS) traps and Sound-producing BG-Gravid Aedes Traps (SGATs) throughout Cairns, northern Australia. Weekly mean male Ae. aegypti catches did not significantly differ between trap types. However, the rate of positive weekly detections of male Ae. aegypti was lower for the MAST Sticky than the other three trap types. The MASTs sampled significantly fewer mosquitoes other than male Ae. aegypti, than either the BGS trap or the SGAT. Also, the MASTs and SGATs all caught significantly less non-Culicidae bycatch than the BGS traps. Consequently, we have developed a versatile male Ae. aegypti trap which is potentially of great benefit to Ae. aegypti surveillance programs.

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Outcomes from international field trials with Male Aedes Sound Traps: Frequency-dependent effectiveness in capturing target species in relation to bycatch abundance

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

10.1371/journal.pntd.0009061 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. e0009061

Author(s):

Kyran M. Staunton ◽

Donovan Leiva ◽

Alvaro Cruz ◽

Joelyn Goi ◽

Carlos Arisqueta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Latin American ◽

Aedes Albopictus ◽

Field Trials ◽

Dengue Transmission ◽

Catch Rates ◽

Species Specific ◽

Time Required ◽

Bg Sentinel

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus vector dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses. With both species expanding their global distributions at alarming rates, developing effective surveillance equipment is a continuing priority for public health researchers. Sound traps have been shown, in limited testing, to be highly species-specific when emitting a frequency corresponding to a female mosquito wingbeat. Determining male mosquito capture rates in sound traps based on lure frequencies in endemic settings is the next step for informed deployment of these surveillance tools. We field-evaluated Male Aedes Sound Traps (MASTs) set to either 450 Hz, 500 Hz, 550 Hz or 600 Hz for sampling Aedes aegypti and/or Aedes albopictus and compared catch rates to BG-Sentinel traps within Pacific (Madang, Papua New Guinea) and Latin American (Molas, Mexico and Orange Walk Town, Belize) locations. MASTs set to 450–550 Hz consistently caught male Ae. aegypti at rates comparable to BG-Sentinel traps in all locations. A peak in male Ae. albopictus captures in MASTs set at 550 Hz was observed, with the lowest mean abundance recorded in MASTs set to 450 Hz. While significantly higher abundances of male Culex were sampled in MASTs emitting lower relative frequencies in Molas, overall male Culex were captured in significantly lower abundances in the MASTs, relative to BG-Sentinel traps within all locations. Finally, significant differences in rates at which male Aedes and Culex were positively detected in trap-types per weekly collections were broadly consistent with trends in abundance data per trap-type. MASTs at 550 Hz effectively captured both male Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus while greatly reducing bycatch, especially male Culex, in locations where dengue transmission has occurred. This high species-specificity of the MAST not only reduces staff-time required to sort samples, but can also be exploited to develop an accurate smart-trap system—both outcomes potentially reducing public health program expenses.

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A litmus test for harmonized mosquito monitoring across Europe and Africa

10.1101/2020.01.30.927020 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ignazio Graziosi ◽

Carles Aranda ◽

Fabrizio Balestrino ◽

Romeo Bellini ◽

Núria Busquets ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Preferences ◽

Breeding Site ◽

Mosquito Vectors ◽

Vector Ecology ◽

Mosquito Surveillance ◽

Larval Habitats ◽

Breeding Habitats ◽

Surveillance Programs ◽

Litmus Test ◽

Species Specific

AbstractThe accelerating rate of outbreaks from mosquito borne diseases are urging the development of updated and effective tools for the surveillance of insect populations and their larval habitats. Harmonized field protocols help to build a comprehensive picture on species-specific vector ecology and generate important knowledge for implementing coordinated mosquito surveillance programs at regional scales and across continents. In this study, we test the efficiency and potential barriers of available harmonized protocols from earlier EU project VectorNet. As a kind of litmus test for such protocols, we specifically aim to capture the ecoregional variation of breeding site characteristics and population density of five mosquito vectors in Europe and Africa. As expected, the five species considered show different aquatic habitat preferences. Culex pipiens, Aedes albopictus in Europe and Ae. aegypti in Africa select breeding habitats within specific volume classes, while Anopheles gambiae and An. coluzzii may select breeding habitats based on seasonal availability. Population densities in aquatic habitats greatly varied across species and countries, but larval production sites of Ae. albopictus generate populations with higher ratio of pupae compared to the other species. This result underlines the fundamental ecological difference between the selected vector species disregarding of the ecoregion. Mean water temperatures had limited variation across species and higher among countries. Understanding the ecology of native and non-native mosquito vectors is key in evaluating transmission risks for diseases such as West Nile, chikungunya and dengue fevers, zika and malaria. The available harmonized field protocols are a valuable tool for achieving homogeneous mosquito surveillance in Europe and Africa.

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Effect of BG-Lures on the Male Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) Sound Trap Capture Rates

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjab121 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kyran M Staunton ◽

Joelyn Goi ◽

Michael Townsend ◽

Scott A Ritchie ◽

Jacob E Crawford ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Population Dynamics ◽

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Papua New Guinea ◽

Aedes Albopictus ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Catch Rates ◽

User Friendly ◽

Bg Sentinel ◽

Further Development ◽

Capture Rates

Abstract With global expansion of the two main vectors of dengue, Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, Diptera: Culicidae) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse, Diptera: Culicidae), there is a need to further develop cost-effective and user-friendly surveillance tools to monitor the population dynamics of these species. The abundance of Ae. aegypti and Ae. Albopictus, and associated bycatch captured by Male Aedes Sound Traps (MASTs) and BG-Sentinel (BGS) traps that were unbaited or baited with BG-Lures were compared in Cairns, Australia and Madang, Papua New Guinea. Mean male Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus catch rates in MASTs did not significantly differ when deployed with BG-Lures. Similarly, males of both these species were not sampled at statistically different rates in BGS traps with or without BG-Lures. However, MASTs with BG-Lures caught significantly less male Ae. aegypti than BGS traps baited with BG-Lures in Cairns, and MASTs without BG-Lures caught significantly more male Ae. albopictus than BGS traps without BG-Lures in Madang. Additionally, BG-Lures significantly increased female Ae. aegypti catch rates in BGS traps in Cairns. Lastly, bycatch capture rates in BGS traps were not significantly influenced by the addition of the BG-Lures. While this study provides useful information regarding the surveillance of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in these locations, further development and investigation is required to successfully integrate an olfactory lure into the MAST system.

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Prebiotic Combinations Effects on the Colonization of Staphylococcal Skin Strains

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9010037 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 37

Author(s):

Silvia Di Lodovico ◽

Franco Gasparri ◽

Emanuela Di Campli ◽

Paola Di Fermo ◽

Simonetta D’Ercole ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biofilm Formation ◽

Commensal Bacteria ◽

The Other ◽

Bacteriostatic Effect ◽

Skin Microbiota ◽

Relevant Effect ◽

Planktonic Phase ◽

Species Specific ◽

Biomass Quantification ◽

General Reduction

Background: An unbalanced skin microbiota due to an increase in pathogenic vs. commensal bacteria can be efficiently tackled by using prebiotics. The aim of this work was to identify novel prebiotic combinations by exerting species-specific action between S. aureus and S. epidermidis strains. Methods: First, the antimicrobial/antibiofilm effect of Xylitol-XYL and Galacto-OligoSaccharides–GOS combined with each other at different concentrations (1, 2.5, 5%) against S. aureus and S. epidermidis clinical strains was evaluated in time. Second, the most species-specific concentration was used to combine XYL with Fructo-OligoSaccharides–FOS, IsoMalto-Oligosaccharides–IMO, ArabinoGaLactan–LAG, inulin, dextran. Experiments were performed by OD600 detection, biomass quantification and LIVE/DEAD staining. Results: 1% XYL + 1% GOS showed the best species-specific action with an immediate antibacterial/antibiofilm action against S. aureus strains (up to 34.54% ± 5.35/64.68% ± 4.77) without a relevant effect on S. epidermidis. Among the other prebiotic formulations, 1% XYL plus 1% FOS (up to 49.17% ± 21.46/37.59% ± 6.34) or 1% IMO (up to 41.28% ± 4.88/36.70% ± 10.03) or 1% LAG (up to 38.21% ± 5.31/83.06% ± 5.11) showed antimicrobial/antibiofilm effects similar to 1% XYL+1% GOS. For all tested formulations, a prevalent bacteriostatic effect in the planktonic phase and a general reduction of S. aureus biofilm formation without loss of viability were recorded. Conclusion: The combinations of 1% XYL with 1% GOS or 1% FOS or 1% IMO or 1% LAG may help to control the balance of skin microbiota, representing good candidates for topic formulations.

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Species-Specific Segregation of Gender-Associated Mitochondrial DNA Types in an Area Where Two Mussel Species (Mytilus edulis and M. trossulus) Hybridize

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/143.3.1359 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 143 (3) ◽

pp. 1359-1367 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Carlos Saavedra ◽

Donald T Stewart ◽

Rebecca R Stanwood ◽

Eleftherios Zouros

Keyword(s):

Mytilus Edulis ◽

The Other ◽

Allozyme Analysis ◽

Mussel Species ◽

Species Origin ◽

Species Pairs ◽

Nuclear Background ◽

Species Specific ◽

Dna Types ◽

Fertile Hybrids

Abstract In each of the mussel species Mytilus edulis and M. trossulus there exist two types of mtDNA, the F type transmitted through females and the M type transmitted through males. Because the two species produce fertile hybrids in nature, F and M types of one may introgress into the other. We present the results from a survey of a population in which extensive hybridization occurs between these two species. Among specimens classified as “pure” M. edulis or “pure” M. trossulus on the basis of allozyme analysis, we observed no animal that carried the F or the M mitotype of the other species. In most animals of mixed nuclear background, an individual's mtDNA came from the species that contributed the majority of the individual's nuclear genes. Most importantly, the two mtDNA types in post-F1 male hybrids were of the same species origin. We interpret this to mean that there are intrinsic barriers to the exchange of mtDNA between these two species. Because such barriers were not noted in other hybridizing species pairs (many being even less interfertile than M. edulis and M. trossulus), their presence in Mytilus could be another feature of the unusual mtDNA system in this genus.

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Investigating Male Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Attraction to Different Oviposition Containers Using Various Configurations of the Sound Gravid Aedes Trap

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjz229 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 57 (3) ◽

pp. 957-961

Author(s):

Kyran M Staunton ◽

Barukh B Rohde ◽

Michael Townsend ◽

Jianyi Liu ◽

Mark Desnoyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Disease Transmission ◽

Urban Landscape ◽

Mosquito Control ◽

Transmission Risk ◽

Northern Australia ◽

Control Programs ◽

Male Dispersal ◽

Olfactory Attractant

Abstract Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus), the primary vectors of the arboviruses dengue virus and Zika virus, continue to expand their global distributions. In efforts to better control such species, several mosquito control programs are investigating the efficacy of rearing and releasing millions of altered male Aedes throughout landscapes to reduce populations and disease transmission risk. Unfortunately, little is known about Ae. aegypti, especially male, dispersal behaviors within urban habitats. We deployed Sound-producing Gravid Aedes Traps (SGATs) in Cairns, northern Australia, to investigate male Ae. aegypti attraction to various oviposition container configurations. The traps were arranged to include: 1) water only, 2) organically infused water, 3) infused water and L3 larvae, 4) infused water and a human-scented lure, and lastly 5) no water or olfactory attractant (dry). Our data suggest that males were more attracted to SGATs representing active larval sites than potential larval sites, but were equally attracted to dry SGATs relative to those containing water and/or infusion. Additionally, we found that female Ae. aegypti were equally attracted to wet SGATs, with or without infusion, but not dry ones. These results suggest that male Ae. aegypti within northern Australia are more attracted to active larval sites and equally attracted to dry containers as wet or infused ones. Additionally, female Ae. aegypti are unlikely to enter dry containers. Such findings contribute to our understanding of potentially attractive features for local and released Ae. aegypti throughout the northern Australian urban landscape.

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Vocal Learning of Japanese and Rhesus Monkeys

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/156853989x00222 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 109 (3-4) ◽

pp. 191-199 ◽

Cited By ~ 73

Author(s):

Nobuo Masataka ◽

Kazuo Fujita

Keyword(s):

Rhesus Monkeys ◽

Japanese Monkey ◽

Species Difference ◽

Vocal Learning ◽

The Other ◽

Playback Experiments ◽

Biological Mothers ◽

Japanese Monkeys ◽

The Cross ◽

Species Specific

AbstractForaging vocalizations given by Japanese and rhesus momkeys reared by their biological mothers differed from each other in a single parameter. Calls made by a Japanese monkey fostered by a rhesus female were dissimilar to those of conspecifics reared by their biological mothers, but similar to those of rhesus monkeys reared by their biological mothers, and the vocalizations given by rhesus monkeys fostered by Japanese monkey mothers were dissimilar to those of conspecifics reared by their biological mothers, but similar to those of Japanese monkeys reared by their biological mothers. Playback experiments revealed that both Japanese and rhesus monkeys distinguished between the calls of Japanese monkeys reared by their biological mothers and of the cross-fostered rhesus monkeys on one hand, and the vocalizations of rhesus monkeys reared by their biological mothers and of the cross-fostered Japanese monkey on the other hand. Thus, production of species-specific vocalizations was learned by each species, and it was the learned species-difference which the monkeys themselves discriminated.

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Multi-Aged Small Pterosaur Track Assemblage from the Upper Cretaceous of Korea

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1136661/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jongyun Jung ◽

Min Huh ◽

Koo-Geun Hwang ◽

Hyun-Joo Kim ◽

Byung-Do Choi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Late Cretaceous ◽

Korean Peninsula ◽

Upper Cretaceous ◽

Global Distribution ◽

The Other

Abstract The pterosaur is the earliest and largest powered flying vertebrate, even earlier and larger than the other extant archosaurian group, birds. However, evidence for this flying reptile, including the diversity of the small-sized pterosaur after the mid-Cretaceous, and their ecology, has remained elusive. Here we present numerous and dense pterosaur track assemblages from the Hwasun Seoyuri tracksite in the Upper Cretaceous Jangdong Formation of the Neungju Basin in Korea. The pterosaur track assemblage, assigned to Pteraichnus isp., consists of various sized, randomly oriented manus-dominated tracks with several pes claw marks. These features commonly indicate the semi-aquatic behavior and multi-age gregariousness of pterosaurs. The supposed trackmaker of pterosaur tracks would be the small-sized pterodactyloid that inhibited the Late Cretaceous Korean Peninsula, but that has not previously been reported. This ichnological evidence for the global distribution of small-sized pterosaurs could be interpreted to mean that the pterosaur fauna in the Late Cretaceous was more distributed and diverse than was previously known.

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The global distribution of the arbovirus vectors Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.08347 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Cited By ~ 771

Author(s):

Moritz UG Kraemer ◽

Marianne E Sinka ◽

Kirsten A Duda ◽

Adrian QN Mylne ◽

Freya M Shearer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Disease Burden ◽

Health Planning ◽

Global Distribution ◽

Health Impacts ◽

Global Public Health ◽

Future Health ◽

Autochthonous Transmission

Dengue and chikungunya are increasing global public health concerns due to their rapid geographical spread and increasing disease burden. Knowledge of the contemporary distribution of their shared vectors, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus remains incomplete and is complicated by an ongoing range expansion fuelled by increased global trade and travel. Mapping the global distribution of these vectors and the geographical determinants of their ranges is essential for public health planning. Here we compile the largest contemporary database for both species and pair it with relevant environmental variables predicting their global distribution. We show Aedes distributions to be the widest ever recorded; now extensive in all continents, including North America and Europe. These maps will help define the spatial limits of current autochthonous transmission of dengue and chikungunya viruses. It is only with this kind of rigorous entomological baseline that we can hope to project future health impacts of these viruses.

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Effect of NaCl on seed germination in some Centaurium Hill. Species (Gentianaceae)

Archives of Biological Sciences ◽

10.2298/abs0703227z ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 59 (3) ◽

pp. 227-231 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

S. Zivkovic ◽

M. Devic ◽

B. Filipovic ◽

Z. Giba ◽

D. Grubisic

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Salt Tolerance ◽

Seed Germination ◽

Gibberellic Acid ◽

White Light ◽

The Other ◽

Distilled Water ◽

Nacl Concentration ◽

History Of ◽

Species Specific

The influence of high NaCl concentrations on seed germination in both light and darkness was examined in the species Centaurium pulchellum, C. erythraea, C. littorale, C. spicatum, and C. tenuiflorum. Salt tolerance was found to depend on the life history of the seeds. To be specific, seeds of all five species failed to complete germination when exposed to continuous white light if kept all the time in the presence of 100-200 mM and greater NaCl concentrations. However, when after two weeks NaCl was rinsed from the seeds and the seeds were left in distilled water under white light for an additional two weeks, all species completed germination to a certain extent. The percent of germination not only depended on NaCl concentration in the prior medium, but was also species specific. Thus, seeds of C. pulchellum, C. erythraea, and C. littorale completed germination well almost irrespective of the salt concentration previously experienced. On the other hand, seeds of C. tenuiflorum completed germination poorly if NaCl concentrations in the prior media were greater than 200 mM. When seeds after washing were transferred to darkness for an additional 14 days, they failed to complete germination if previously imbibed on media containing NaCl concentrations greater than 400 mM. However, the seeds of all species, even if previously imbibed at 800 mM NaCl, could be induced to complete germination in darkness by 1 mM gibberellic acid. .

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