scholarly journals First Report of Culicoides Biting Midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Attacking People in Italy, With the Description of Extreme Larval Breeding Sites and Diurnal Activity of Culicoides riethi

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Romiti ◽  
Romolo Fochetti ◽  
Adele Magliano ◽  
Vittorio Vinciguerra ◽  
Arianna Ermenegildi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Italy ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Biting Midge ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Nature Park ◽  
Veterinary Entomology ◽  
Culicoides Biting Midges

Abstract Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) play a paramount role in medical and veterinary entomology worldwide, particularly as vectors of pathogens which cause animal diseases. Biting midges are also infamous for the nuisance they provoke to people involved in outdoor activities. Nonetheless, attacks to man by midges from any Culicoides species have not been reported in Italy. An entomological investigation was performed following repeated attacks to man in a nature park near Rome (central Italy). The study area is a natural degassing zone, characterized by widespread hazardous gas emissions of CO2 and H2S, with several water bodies including permanent lakes, ponds, and pools. The biting midge C. riethi Kieffer, 1914 was very active during daytime in the period April–June. The species has been identified as responsible for attacks on people in the area. An in-depth analysis of the extreme environmental conditions revealed the ability of larvae to thrive in several water bodies, characterized by an extremely low pH and a high concentration of sulfates.

scholarly journals FIELD EVALUATION OF TALSTAR (BIFENTHRIN) RESIDENTIAL BARRIER TREATMENTS ALONE AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH MOSQUITO MAGNET LIBERTY PLUS TRAPS IN CEDAR KEY, FLORIDA

2021 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-62
Author(s):  
Aaron M. Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Area ◽  
Field Evaluation ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Biting Midge ◽  
Culicoides Biting Midges ◽  
Population Suppression

The effectiveness of bifenthrin applications to vegetation with and without commercial mosquito traps (Mosquito Magnet Liberty Plus) was evaluated against Culicoides biting midges in a residential coastal area located in Cedar Key, Florida. Efficacy evaluations were determined by surveillance trap collections and modified landing rate counts. In general, all treatments provided significant reduction from Culicoides biting midge pressure when compared with untreated yards with no traps (control). However, the combination of bifenthrin and Liberty Plus traps proved to be the most successful in reducing Culicoides compared with yards with only a Liberty Plus trap. Yards treated with bifenthrin alone or in combination with the Liberty Plus trap were more successful than controls, suggesting that Culicoides biting midge population suppression may be obtained through barrier application alone.

Complete sporogony of the blood parasite Haemoproteus nucleocondensus in common biting midges: why is its transmission interrupted in Europe?

Parasitology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 147 (5) ◽  
pp. 593-600
Author(s):  
Rita Žiegytė ◽  
Elena Platonova ◽  
Rasa Bernotienė ◽  
Gediminas Valkiūnas ◽  
Vaidas Palinauskas
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Great Majority ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Acrocephalus Arundinaceus ◽  
Species Identity ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Biting Midge ◽  
Average Temperature

AbstractHaemoproteus species (Haemoproteidae) are widespread blood parasites and are transmitted by Culicoides biting midges and Hippoboscidae louse flies. Although these pathogens may cause morbidity or mortality, the vectors and patterns of transmission remain unknown for the great majority of avian haemoproteids. Haemoproteus nucleocondensus has been frequently reported in Europe in great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus after their arrival from African wintering grounds, but this infection has not been found in juveniles at the breeding sites. The factors that prevent its transmission remain unclear. This study was designed to test whether the sporogony of H. nucleocondensus (lineage hGRW8) can be completed in Culicoides impunctatus, one of the most abundant European biting midge species. Wild-caught females were infected with H. nucleocondensus from great reed warblers. Microscopic examination and PCR-based methods were used to detect sporogonic stages and to confirm species identity. This study showed that H. nucleocondensus completes sporogony in C. impunctatus, suggesting that there are no obstacles to its transmission from the point of view of vector availability and average temperature in Northern Europe. We discuss other ecological factors which should be considered to explain why the transmission of H. nucleocondensus and some other Southern origin haemosporidians are interrupted in North Europe.

scholarly journals Ontogenetic shift in the trophic role of the invasive killer shrimp Dikerogammarus villosus: a stable isotope study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Mancini ◽  
Raffaele De Giorgi ◽  
Alessandro Ludovisi ◽  
Salvatrice Vizzini ◽  
Giorgio Mancinelli
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Dikerogammarus Villosus ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Stable Isotope Study ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe introduction of the amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus in European fresh waters is to date recognized as a threat to the integrity of invaded communities. Predation by D. villosus on native benthic invertebrates is assumed as the key determinant of its ecological impact, yet available information describe the species as a primary consumer as well as a carnivore depending on local conditions. Here, we assessed the trophic position (TP) of D. villosus in Lake Trasimeno, a recently invaded lentic system in central Italy, using the CN isotopic signatures of individuals captured in winter spanning two orders of magnitude in body size. TP estimations were compared with those characterizing the native amphipod Echinogammarus veneris and other representative invertebrate predators. On average, D. villosus showed a trophic position higher than E. veneris, and comparable with that of odonate nymphs. An in-depth analysis revealed that large-sized individuals had a trophic position of 3.07, higher than odonates and close to that of the hirudinean predator Erpobdella octoculata, while small-sized specimens had a trophic position of 2.57, similar to that of E. veneris (2.41). These findings indicate that size-related ontogenetic shifts in dietary habits may per se vary the nature of the interaction between Dikerogammarus villosus and native invertebrates from competition to predation. Information collated from published isotopic studies corroborated the generality of our results. We conclude that intra-specific trophic flexibility may potentially amplify and make more multifaceted the impact of the species on other invertebrate species in invaded food webs.

Management of North American Culicoides Biting Midges: Current Knowledge and Research Needs

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 374-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Pfannenstiel ◽  
Bradley A. Mullens ◽  
Mark G. Ruder ◽  
Ludek Zurek ◽  
Lee W. Cohnstaedt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Culicoides Biting Midges

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal variation in the abundance of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in nine European countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Carolina Cuéllar ◽  
Lene Jung Kjær ◽  
Carsten Kirkeby ◽  
Henrik Skovgard ◽  
Søren Achim Nielsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Variation ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Culicoides Biting Midges

scholarly journals PHOTOGRAMMETRY AS A PARTICIPATORY RECOVERY TOOL AFTER DISASTERS: A GROUNDED FRAMEWORK FOR FUTURE GUIDELINES

2019 ◽  
Vol XLII-2/W15 ◽  
pp. 921-928
Author(s):  
C. Pezzica ◽  
A. Piemonte ◽  
C. Bleil de Souza ◽  
V. Cutini
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Semantic Content ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Humanitarian Response ◽  
Central Italy Earthquake ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Crowdsourced Data ◽  
Fit For Purpose

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> This paper identifies the application domain, context of use, processes and goals of low-cost street-level photogrammetry after urban disasters. The proposal seeks a synergy between top-down and bottom-up initiatives carried out by different actors during the humanitarian response phase in data scarce contexts. By focusing on the self-organisation capacities of local people, this paper suggests using collaborative photogrammetry to empower communities hit by disasters and foster their active participation in recovery and reconstruction planning. It shows that this task may prove technically challenging depending on the specifics of the collected imagery and develops a grounded framework to produce user-centred image acquisition guidelines and fit-for-purpose photogrammetric reconstruction workflows, useful in future post-disaster scenarios. To this end, it presents an in-depth analysis of a collaborative photographic mapping initiative undergone by a group of citizen-scientists after the 2016 Central Italy earthquake, followed by the explorative processing of some sample datasets. Specifically, the paper firstly presents a visual ethnographic study of the photographic material uploaded by participants from September 2016 to November 2018 in the two Italian municipalities of Arquata del Tronto and Norcia. Secondly, it illustrates from a technical point of view issues concerning the processing of crowdsourced data (e.g. image filtering, selection, quality, semantic content and 3D model scaling) and discusses the viability of using it to enrich the pool of geo-information available to stakeholders and decision-makers. Final considerations are discussed as part of a grounded framework for future guidelines tailored to multiple goals and data processing scenarios.</p>

scholarly journals Black Kite Milvus migrans in Slovenia – its distribution, phenology, breeding and habitat

Acrocephalus ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (178-179) ◽  
pp. 71-83
Author(s):  
Dejan Bordjan
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Breeding Density ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Milvus Migrans ◽  
Black Kite

Abstract Between 1984 and 2017, 1,388 Black Kites were recorded, mostly in lowlands with 70% of observations made at Dravsko polje. They were observed from sea level to around 1,600 m a.s.l. with an average elevation of 271 m a.s.l. The species was present in Slovenia from mid-March to early December with indistinct spring and autumn migrations. The highest number of observations was recorded in May. The Black Kite was observed in 71 out of 238 10x10 km grid squares in Slovenia (29.8%), with more observations around known breeding sites and at sites with higher observer effort. Both the number of observations and the number of probable and confirmed breeding pairs increased. In 2011–2018, 10 breeding pairs were found at 7 sites (3–7 per year). Additionally, 11 probable breeding pairs at 9 sites (0–6 pairs per year) were found. The breeding population in 2011–2018 is estimated at 10–21 pairs with an average breeding density of 0.3–0.9 breeding pairs per 100 km2. The highest density was recorded at Dravsko polje with 0.6–2.2 breeding pairs per 100 km2. If possible breeding (breeding attempts) were also taken into consideration, the estimate would be up to five breeding pairs higher. The species was recorded at known breeding sites in most years after the breeding was confirmed. Black Kites were observed closer to larger water bodies and to rubbish tips than expected by chance. More Black Kites were recorded in areas with a lower percentage of forest and arable land and a higher percentage of meadows, settlements and wetlands.

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