scholarly journals Can floral nectars reduce transmission of Leishmania?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan Palmer-Young ◽  
Ryan Schwarz ◽  
Yan Ping Chen ◽  
Jay D Evans
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Sand Fly ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Parasite Transmission ◽  
Sand Flies ◽  
Parasite Control ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Flowering Plant Species ◽  
Target Effects

Insect-vectored Leishmania are the second-most debilitating of human parasites worldwide. Elucidation of the environmental factors that affect parasite transmission by vectors is essential to develop sustainable methods of parasite control that do not have off-target effects on beneficial insects or environmental health. Many phytochemicals that inhibit growth of sand fly-vectored Leishmania- which have been exhaustively studied in the search for phytochemical-based drugs- are abundant in nectar, which provide sugar-based meals to infected sand flies. In a quantitative meta-analysis, we compare inhibitory phytochemical concentrations for Leishmania to concentrations present in floral nectar and pollen. We show that nectar concentrations of several flowering plant species exceed those that inhibit growth of Leishmania cell cultures, suggesting an unexplored, landscape ecology-based approach to reduce Leishmania transmission. Strategic planting of antiparasitic phytochemical-rich floral resources or phytochemically enriched baits could reduce Leishmania loads in vectors, providing an environmentally friendly complement to existing means of disease control.

scholarly journals Floral Resources for Trissolcus japonicus, a Parasitoid of Halyomorpha halys

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 413
Author(s):  
Hanna R. McIntosh ◽  
Victoria P. Skillman ◽  
Gracie Galindo ◽  
Jana C. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Egg Parasitoid ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Halyomorpha Halys ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Classical Biocontrol ◽  
Nectar Sources ◽  
Trissolcus Japonicus ◽  
The Impact

The egg parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus is the main candidate for classical biocontrol of the invasive agricultural pest Halyomorpha halys. The efficacy of classical biocontrol depends on the parasitoid’s survival and conservation in the agroecosystem. Most parasitoid species rely on floral nectar as a food source, thus identifying nectar sources for T. japonicus is critical. We evaluated the impact of eight flowering plant species on T. japonicus survival in the lab by exposing unfed wasps to flowers inside vials. We also measured the wasps’ nutrient levels to confirm feeding and energy storage using anthrone and vanillin assays adapted for T. japonicus. Buckwheat, cilantro, and dill provided the best nectar sources for T. japonicus by improving median survival by 15, 3.5, and 17.5 days compared to water. These three nectar sources increased wasps’ sugar levels, and cilantro and dill also increased glycogen levels. Sweet alyssum, marigold, crimson clover, yellow mustard, and phacelia did not improve wasp survival or nutrient reserves. Further research is needed to determine if these flowers maintain their benefits in the field and whether they will increase the parasitism rate of H. halys.

An Inventory of Flowering Plants of Ameenpur Lake - A Biological Heritage Site, Telangana State

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-66
Author(s):  
G. Sailu ◽  
◽  
B. Rama Devi ◽  
K. Chandramohan ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Telangana State ◽  
Flowering Plant Species

Ameenpur Lake is located in Medak district of Telangana State. It was recently declared as “Biological heritage” site in state of Telangana under section-37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. This lake is breeding habitat for the migratory birds in the winter season, keeping this in view, it was declared as biological heritage site. The present inventory of floral resources was carried out during the period 2016-18 around the Ameenpur Lake. During the study period an intensive exploration was done and all flowering plant species were documented. The study revealed the occurrence of 180 flowering plant species belonging to 62 families.

scholarly journals Crab spiders (Araneae: Thomisidae) in flowering plants in a Brazilian "Cerrado" ecosystem

2011 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
LC Rocha-Filho ◽  
IMP Rinaldi
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Pollination Syndrome ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Flowering Plant Species ◽  
Crab Spiders ◽  
Poricidal Anthers

Although crab spiders are common in flowering plants, their relations with plant species and its floral traits have been poorly known in the Neotropics. Observations regarding plant habits, floral visitors and also floral characteristics such as anthesis, odour, shape, colour and floral resources were recorded in flowering plant species of an area of "Cerrado" on a 2 km long trail. Misumenops argenteus and Misumenops pallens accounted for 62.86% of the spiders captured on 22 flowering plant species. The plants Senna rugosa (Fabaceae), Styrax ferrugineus (Styracaceae) and Banisteriopsis campestris (Malpighiaceae), hosted, each one, about 10 to 17% of the total spiders collected and these plants had diurnal anthesis, bee-attractive flower colours such as yellow (S. rugosa), white (S. ferrugineus), and pink (B. campestris), poricidal anthers as well as being visited by bees which evidenced bee-pollination syndrome. This study is the first survey regarding crab spiders and their associations with plant species of the "Cerrado".

Prevalence of Leishmania major Yakimoff and Schokhor (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) in Sandflies in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Reza Shoraka ◽  
Moslem Taheri Soodejani ◽  
Ehsan Allah Kalteh ◽  
Maryam Chegeni ◽  
Marzieh Mahmudimanesh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Leishmania Major ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Sand Fly ◽  
Sand Flies ◽  
Infected Female ◽  
Cochrane Reviews ◽  
Pooled Prevalence ◽  
Vector Borne

Abstract Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an important parasitic and vector-borne disease in Iran and can be transmitted to humans and animals through bites of infected female sand flies. The present study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of Leishmania major in sand flies in Iran. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed in the present study, so that databases, namely PubMed, Web of Sciences, Science Direct, ProQuest, Embase, Cochrane Reviews, and Scopus as well as IranDoc, SID, Elmnet, and Magiran were searched for finding Persian articles. Inclusion criteria of study contained the study in Iran and investigation of L. major parasite in sand flies. The quality of studies was examined by Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for studies that reported prevalence data; and the data were analyzed by Stata 14 software. In total, 42 studies were evaluated, all of which had investigated the infection of Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli (Diptera: Psychodidae). The infection of Phlebotomus caucasicus group was investigated in 13 studies, Phlebotomus ansarii Lewis in four studies, Phlebotomus salehi Mesghali and Rashti in five studies, and the infection of other species of sandflies in seven studies. According to the meta-analysis, the pooled prevalence of Ph. papatasi, Ph. caucasicus group, Ph. salehi, and Ph. ansarii were equal to 2.4, 6.2, 1.6, and 9.2%, respectively, with 95% confidence interval. According to reports of different rates of sand fly infection in different regions, all studies should have certain and standard forms and formats to determine the pooled prevalence of sand fly infection.

scholarly journals Phlebotomine Sand Fly Fauna andLeishmaniaInfection in the Vicinity of the Serra do Cipó National Park, a Natural Brazilian Heritage Site

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosana Silva Lana ◽  
Érika Monteiro Michalsky ◽  
Consuelo Latorre Fortes-Dias ◽  
João Carlos França-Silva ◽  
Fabiana de Oliveira Lara-Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Sand Fly ◽  
Sand Flies ◽  
Local Data ◽  
Phlebotomine Sand Flies ◽  
Serra Do Cipó ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
One Year ◽  
The One ◽  
Favorable Conditions

In the New World, the leishmaniases are primarily transmitted to humans through the bites ofLeishmania-infectedLutzomyia(Diptera: Psychodidae) phlebotomine sand flies. Any or both of two basic clinical forms of these diseases are endemic to several cities in Brazil—the American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) and the American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL). The present study was conducted in the urban area of a small-sized Brazilian municipality (Jaboticatubas), in which three cases of AVL and nine of ACL have been reported in the last five years. Jaboticatubas is an important tourism hub, as it includes a major part of the Serra do Cipó National Park. Currently, no local data is available on the entomological fauna or circulatingLeishmania. During the one-year period of this study, we captured 3,104 phlebotomine sand flies belonging to sixteenLutzomyiaspecies. In addition to identifying incriminated or suspected vectors of ACL with DNA of the etiological agent of AVL and vice versa, we also detectedLeishmaniaDNA in unexpectedLutzomyiaspecies. The expressive presence of vectors and naturalLeishmaniainfection indicates favorable conditions for the spreading of leishmaniases in the vicinity of the Serra do Cipó National Park.

scholarly journals Documentation of flora of Rara lake and adjoining areas in mid-western region of Nepal

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-47
Author(s):  
BK Basnet
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Western Region ◽  
Ramsar Site ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Data Field ◽  
Adjoining Area ◽  
Faunal Diversity ◽  
Flowering Plant Species

Rara National Park is the smallest national park of the country. It is rich in floral and faunal diversity. Rara is one of the sacred lakes and is listed as a Ramsar site. The aim of the study was to compile the representative flora of Rara lake and to present status of available vegetation. The research used both primary and secondary sources of data. Field visit was conducted in June, 2010 during which more than 300 plant specimens were collected. The secondary data were collected from Rara and adjoining area like Gamgadi. These data were thoroughly analyzed to understand the composition of vegetation. The study revealed the existence of about 224 flowering plant species in the area, under 173 genera and 67 families. Compositae was found to be the largest family (21 species and 17 genera) followed by Rosaceae (19 species and 10 genera). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/banko.v21i1.9063 Banko Janakari, Vol. 21, No. 1 2011; 41-47

scholarly journals Floral Resources Sustaining African Meliponine Bee Species (Hymenoptera: Meliponini) in a Fragile Habitat of Kenya

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridget O. Bobadoye ◽  
Paul N. Ndegwa ◽  
Lucy Irungu ◽  
Fombong Ayuka ◽  
Robert Kajobe
Keyword(s):  
Flowering Phenology ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Habitat Gradients ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Taita Hills ◽  
Insect Pollinators ◽  
Diverse Habitat

A vast majority of insects visit flowers for food, generally termed as floral rewards. Detailed insights on flowering phenology of plants could give a hint of habitat status and the extent to which such landscapes could support insect pollinators to render both direct and indirect ecosystem services. This study monitored flowering plants which could potentially provide both pollen and nectar sources to four African meliponine bee species (Apidae: Meliponini) naturally occurring in six diverse habitat gradients of the eastern arc mountains (Taita hills) of Kenya. Blooming sequences of identified flowering plants overlapped across seasons with approximately 80 different plant species belonging to 34 families recorded, with the highest proportions from Fabaceae and Asteraceae families dominating flowering plants that were visited (67% of the visits).  A flowering calendar is presented to indicate the phenological pattern of all identified floral resources.  Hypotrigona gribodoi being the most abundant species had the highest visitation rates on plants belonging to Fabaceae and Asteraceae families, followed by Meliponula ferruginea (black), Plebeina hildebrandti and Hypotrigona ruspolii. This indicates that such fragile habitat could invariably sustain nutritional requirements essential for the survival of insect pollinators such as native meliponine bee species, though bee abundance at flowers did not significantly correlate to food availability (expressed by flowering plant richness).

scholarly journals Development of a Diagnostic Marker for Phlebotomus papatasi to Initiate a Potential Vector Surveillance Program in North America

Insects ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Austin Merchant ◽  
Tian Yu ◽  
Jizhe Shi ◽  
Xuguo Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Identification ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Sand Fly ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Sand Flies ◽  
Phlebotomus Papatasi ◽  
Diagnostic Assay ◽  
Vector Surveillance ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Imminent Threat

Phlebotomus papatasi, an Old World sand fly species, is primarily responsible for the transmission of leishmaniasis, a highly infectious and potentially lethal disease. International travel, especially military rotations, between domestic locations and P. papatasi-prevalent regions in the Middle East poses an imminent threat to the public health of US citizens. Because of its small size and cryptic morphology, identification of P. papatasi is challenging and labor-intensive. Here, we developed a ribosomal DNA-polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic assay that is capable of detecting P. papatasi genomic DNA from mixed samples containing multiple sand flies native to the Americas. Serial dilution of P. papatasi samples demonstrated that this diagnostic assay could detect one P. papatasi from up to 255 non-target sand flies. Due to its simplicity, sensitivity and specificity, this rapid identification tool is suited for a long-term surveillance program to screen for the presence of P. papatasi in the continental United States and to reveal geographical regions potentially vulnerable to sand fly-borne diseases.

scholarly journals Odour of domestic dogs infected with Leishmania infantum is attractive to female but not male sand flies: Evidence for parasite manipulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. e1009354
Author(s):  
Monica E. Staniek ◽  
James G. C. Hamilton
Keyword(s):  
Leishmania Infantum ◽  
Etiologic Agent ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
T Test ◽  
Sand Fly ◽  
Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽  
Sand Flies ◽  
Control Female ◽  
Behavioural Experiments ◽  
Paired T Test

Globally visceral leishmaniasis (VL) causes thousands of human deaths every year. In South America, the etiologic agent, Leishmania infantum, is transmitted from an infected canine reservoir to human hosts by the bite of the sand fly vector; predominantly Lutzomyia longipalpis. Previous evidence from model rodent systems have suggested that the odour of infected hosts is altered by the parasite making them more attractive to the vector leading to an increased biting rate and improved transmission prospects for the pathogen. However, there has been no assessment of the effect of Le infantum infection on the attractiveness of dogs, which are the natural reservoirs for human infection. Hair collected from infected and uninfected dogs residing in a VL endemic city in Brazil was entrained to collect the volatile chemical odours present in the headspace. Female and male Lu. longipalpis sand flies were offered a choice of odour entrained from infected and uninfected dogs in a series of behavioural experiments. Odour of uninfected dogs was equally attractive to male or female Lu. longipalpis when compared to a solvent control. Female Lu. longipalpis were significantly more attracted to infected dog odour than uninfected dog odour in all 15 experimental replicates (average 45.7±0.87 females attracted to infected odour; 23.9±0.82 to uninfected odour; paired T-test, P = 0.000). Male Lu. longipalpis did not significantly prefer either infected or uninfected odour (average 36.1±0.4 males to infected odour; 35.7±0.6 to uninfected odour; paired T-test, P = 0.722). A significantly greater proportion of females chose the infected dog odour compared to the males (paired T-test, P = 0.000). The results showed that the odour of dogs infected with Le. infantum was significantly more attractive to blood-seeking female sand flies than it was to male sand flies. This is strong evidence for parasite manipulation of the host odour in a natural transmission system and indicates that infected dogs may have a disproportionate significance in maintaining infection in the canine and human population.

scholarly journals Leishmania infantum Infection Modulates the Jak-STAT Pathway in Lutzomyia longipalpis LL5 Embryonic Cells and Adult Females, and Affects Parasite Growth in the Sand Fly

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erich Loza Telleria ◽  
Daisy Aline Azevedo-Brito ◽  
Barbora Kykalová ◽  
Bruno Tinoco-Nunes ◽  
André Nóbrega Pitaluga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Post Infection ◽  
Leishmania Infantum ◽  
Janus Kinase ◽  
Sand Fly ◽  
Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽  
Sand Flies ◽  
Embryonic Cells ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
Parasite Survival ◽  
Stat Pathway

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) belonging to the Lutzomyia genus transmit zoonoses in the New World. Lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of Leishmania infantum, which is the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil. To identify key molecular aspects involved in the interaction between vector and pathogens and contribute to developing disease transmission controls, we investigated the sand fly innate immunity mediated by the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (Jak-STAT) pathway in response to L. infantum infection. We used two study models: L. longipalpis LL5 embryonic cells co-cultured with L. infantum and sand fly females artificially infected with the parasite. We used qPCR to follow the L. longipalpis gene expression of molecules involved in the Jak-STAT pathway. Also, we modulated the Jak-STAT mediated immune response to understand its role in Leishmania parasite infection. For that, we used RNAi to silence the pathway regulators, protein inhibitor of activated STATs (PIAS) in LL5 cells, and STAT in adult females. In addition, the pathway suppression effect on parasite development within the vector was assessed by light microscopy in late-phase infection. The silencing of the repressor PIAS in LL5 cells led to a moderate increase in a protein tyrosine phosphatase 61F (PTP61F) expression. It suggests a compensatory regulation between these two repressors. L. infantum co-culture with LL5 cells upregulated repressors PIAS, suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS), and PTP61F. It also downmodulated virus-induced RNA-1 (VIR-1), a pathway effector, indicating that the parasite could repress the Jak-STAT pathway in LL5 cells. In Leishmania-infected L. longipalpis females, STAT and the antimicrobial peptide attacin were downregulated on the third day post-infection, suggesting a correlation that favors the parasite survival at the end of blood digestion in the sand fly. The antibiotic treatment of infected females showed that the reduction of gut bacteria had little effect on the Jak-STAT pathway regulation. STAT gene silencing mediated by RNAi reduced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and favored Leishmania growth in sand flies on the first day post-infection. These results indicate that STAT participated in the iNOS regulation with subsequent effect on parasite survival.

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