scholarly journals Do Invasive Mosquito and Bird Species Alter Avian Malaria Parasite Transmission?

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josué Martínez-de la Puente ◽  
Alazne Díez-Fernández ◽  
Tomás Montalvo ◽  
Rubén Bueno-Marí ◽  
Quentin Pangrani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Invasive Pest ◽  
Monk Parakeet ◽  
Myiopsitta Monachus ◽  
Asian Tiger ◽  
Invasive Mosquito ◽  
High Fraction

Alien mosquito and vertebrate host species may create novel epidemiological scenarios for the transmission of pathogens naturally circulating in the invaded area. The exotic Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) has established populations in Europe and is currently considered an invasive pest. Due to their high abundance in urban areas, Monk parakeets could be involved in the transmission of pathogens, potentially affecting wildlife and livestock. To test this hypothesis, we determined the prevalence and diversity of three vector-borne parasites, namely Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon, in Monk parakeets from Barcelona. Many areas of southern Europe shelter high densities of the invasive Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, which in addition to native mosquito species could affect the transmission of mosquito-borne parasites, such as avian Plasmodium. Thus, we also sampled mosquitoes in the area to trace their blood-feeding hosts and determine the presence of Plasmodium parasites. Monk parakeets were neither infected by Plasmodium nor by Haemoproteus parasites, and only five individuals (3.13%; n = 160) were infected by Leucocytozoon. Monk parakeets were bitten by Culiseta longiareolata and represented 9.5% of Culex pipiens blood meals. The invasive Ae. albopictus showed a clear anthropophilic feeding pattern, with humans dominating its diet. Three Plasmodium lineages were detected in pools of Cx pipiens. These results suggest that Plasmodium circulating in the area cannot develop in the invasive Monk parakeet, in spite of the relatively high fraction of native mosquito vectors feeding on this species in its invaded distribution range.

Practical management plan for invasive mosquito species in Europe: I. Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus)

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 101691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romeo Bellini ◽  
Antonios Michaelakis ◽  
Dušan Petrić ◽  
Francis Schaffner ◽  
Bulent Alten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Asian Tiger Mosquito ◽  
Invasive Mosquito Species ◽  
Practical Management ◽  
Asian Tiger ◽  
Invasive Mosquito ◽  
Tiger Mosquito

scholarly journals The Role of Monk Parakeets as Nest-Site Facilitators in Their Native and Invaded Areas

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 683
Author(s):  
Dailos Hernández-Brito ◽  
Martina Carrete ◽  
Guillermo Blanco ◽  
Pedro Romero-Vidal ◽  
Juan Carlos Senar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Monk Parakeet ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Myiopsitta Monachus

While most of the knowledge on invasive species focuses on their impacts, little is known about their potential positive effects on other species. Invasive ecosystem engineers can disrupt recipient environments; however, they may also facilitate access to novel resources for native species. The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is a worldwide invader and the only parrot that builds its own communal nests, which can be used by other species. However, the ecological effects of these interspecific interactions are barely known. We compared the role of the monk parakeet as a nest-site facilitator in different rural and urban areas, both invaded and native, across three continents and eight breeding seasons. A total of 2690 nests from 42 tenant species, mostly cavity-nesting birds, were recorded in 26% of 2595 monk parakeet nests. Rural and invaded areas showed the highest abundance and richness of tenant species. Multispecies communal nests triggered interspecific aggression between the monk parakeet host and its tenants, but also a cooperative defense against predators. Despite the positive effects for native species, monk parakeets also facilitate nesting opportunities to other non-native species and may also transmit diseases to tenants, highlighting the complexity of biotic interactions in biological invasions.

scholarly journals The Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta Monachus) as a Potential Pest for Agriculture in the Mediterranean Basin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Castro ◽  
Carmen Sáez ◽  
Mercedes Molina-Morales
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Monk Parakeet ◽  
Myiopsitta Monachus ◽  
Potential Pest ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) has been introduced in the last decades to many cities of the Mediterranean basin. For most of this time it has been restricted primarily to urban areas, but it is starting to spread to rural habitats. It is considered a pest for agriculture in its native range, consuming a wide variety of crops such as grains, fruits, and vegetables. However, there is very little information about its potential role as a pest for agriculture in the areas where it is exotic. Here we conducted an experimental survey of the impact of the monk parakeet on corn in SE Spain using camera traps. The monk parakeet was the animal that produced the highest damage, being responsible for 98.6% of the time employed by all animals consuming kernels. The percentage of cobs damaged ranged from 36.8–100% depending on the cultivar, whereas the crop loss (measured as the length of the cob consumed with respect to the total length of the cob) ranged from 17.7–71.1%. The results suggest that the monk parakeet may be a serious pest for agriculture in the Mediterranean basin if their populations continue growing.

scholarly journals Exploring Public Preferences, Priorities, and Policy Perspectives for Controlling Invasive Mosquito Species in Greece

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Antonios Kolimenakis ◽  
Dionysios Latinopoulos ◽  
Kostas Bithas ◽  
Clive Richardson ◽  
Konstantinos Lagouvardos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Public Preferences ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Invasive Mosquito Species ◽  
Asian Tiger ◽  
Invasive Mosquito

Climate change, urbanization, and financial crisis have created a dramatic mixture of challenges in Southern Europe, increasing further the risks of transmission of new vector-borne diseases. In the last decade, there has been a wide spread of an invasive mosquito species Aedes albopictus, commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, in various urban ecosystems of Greece accompanied by greater risks of infectious diseases, higher nuisance levels, and increased expenses incurred for their control. The aim of the present paper is to investigate citizens’ perception of the Aedes albopictus problem and to evaluate various policy aspects related to its control. Findings are based on the conduct of a web-based survey at a national scale and the production of national surveillance maps. Results indicate that citizens are highly concerned with the health risks associated with the new mosquito species and consider public prevention strategies highly important for the confrontation of the problem while, at the same time, surveillance maps indicate a constant intensification of the problem. The spatial patterns of these results are further investigated aiming to define areas (regions) with different: (a) Levels of risk and/or (b) policy priorities. It appears that citizens are aware of the invasive mosquito problem and appear prone to act against possible consequences. Climate change and the complex socio-ecological context of South Europe are expected to favor a deterioration of the problem and an increasing risk of the transmission of new diseases, posing, in this respect, new challenges for policy makers and citizens.

Variations in pest bird density in Argentinean agroecosystems in relation to land use and/or cover, vegetation productivity and climate

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noelia C. Calamari ◽  
Sonia B. Canavelli ◽  
Alexis Cerezo ◽  
Sebastián Dardanelli ◽  
Jaime N. Bernardos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Crop Damage ◽  
Vegetation Productivity ◽  
Monk Parakeet ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Myiopsitta Monachus ◽  
Bird Density

Context Changes in environmental conditions may influence bird populations, including pest bird species, and their distribution. In Argentina, particularly in the Pampas region, agricultural expansion has resulted in important changes in agroecosystems, with impacts on bird species. Aims This study analysed the relationship between pest bird densities and the environmental variables associated with land use and/or cover, vegetation productivity and climate. The study focused on the most important pest bird species to grain crops in Argentina and Uruguay: the eared dove (Zenaida auriculata) and the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus). Methods An area in Central Argentina was divided into three agro-productive regions, one predominantly agricultural and two with mixed production activities: agricultural rangeland and agricultural forested rangeland. Bird populations were sampled on a yearly basis between 2003 and 2011 in point-transects located along secondary roads (47 routes in total). Linear mixed models and a multi-model inference approach were used to compare the effects of individual predictive variables on bird densities. Key results Mean estimated density for the eared dove was 0.39 individuals per ha (±0.02), almost three times the density of the monk parakeet (0.10 individuals per ha±0.02). The spatial distribution of changes in density of the eared dove and monk parakeet showed irregular patterns across the study area. Density of eared dove was directly related to cover of native and exotic woodlots and inversely related to cover of fallow and weedy fields, and to temperature and rainfall. Monk parakeet density, in turn, was directly related to cover of woodlots. Conclusions The density of eared doves and monk parakeets changed mostly in relation to land use and/or cover and, to a lesser extent, to climatic conditions. Information of pest bird populations in a long-term period allowed us to understand spatial patterns in bird population distribution and to identify the main environmental factors explaining them. Implications The consideration of land use and/or cover, vegetation productivity and climate variables at regional scale, measured during a long-term period, would be critical for anticipating population increases and, possibly, increases in crop damage.

scholarly journals Temperature and Sugar Feeding Effects on the Activity of a Laboratory Strain of Aedes aegypti

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irvin Forde Upshur ◽  
Elizabeth Annadel Bose ◽  
Cameron Hart ◽  
Chloé Lahondère
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Laboratory Strain ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Total Carbohydrate ◽  
Sugar Feeding ◽  
Host Seeking ◽  
Invasive Mosquito

Aedes aegypti is an invasive mosquito species that is expected to expand its global distribution through climate change. As poikilotherms, mosquitoes are greatly affected by the temperature of the environment which can impact host-seeking, blood-feeding, and flight activity as well as survival and ability to transmit pathogens. However, an important aspect of mosquito biology on which the effect of temperature has not been investigated is water and sugar-feeding and how access to a sugar source might affect the insect’s activity and survival under different thermal conditions. To close this knowledge gap, we relied on actometer experiments to study the activity of both female and male Ae. aegypti at 20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C, providing either water or 10% sucrose to the insects. We then measured the total carbohydrate contents of alive mosquitoes using the anthrone protocol. Survival was assessed and compared between all groups. Results from this study will inform on the thermal biology of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes and how access to sugar affects their activity.

Asian Tiger Mosquito in Yucatan Peninsula: First Record of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Campeche, Mexico

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 2022-2024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Luis Hernández–Rodríguez ◽  
Rafael Perez-Pacheco ◽  
Alfonso Vásquez-López ◽  
Meret Chantal Mejenes–Hernández ◽  
Carlos Alejandro Granados–Echegoyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Yucatan Peninsula ◽  
First Record ◽  
Entomological Surveillance ◽  
Yucatán Peninsula ◽  
Asian Tiger ◽  
Invasive Mosquito ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Abstract This report describes the presence of Aedes albopictus Skuse (Diptera: Culicidae) in Yucatan Peninsula and represents the first record of the Asian tiger invasive mosquito in Campeche State, southeastern Mexico. We collected specimens using 11,326 ovitraps put into houses of urban and rural areas, as part of the entomological surveillance by the local Ministry of Health from January 2019 to February 2020. We found Ae. albopictus in five of the 12 municipalities of Campeche (San Francisco de Campeche, Tenabo, Hecelchakán, Calkíni and Escárcega). We record 68 positive ovitraps and 226 Ae. albopictus larvae. This finding increases the number of mosquito species recorded in Campeche, Mexico, and possibly the potential for 22 arbovirus transmission.

scholarly journals An Updated Review Of the Invasive Aedes Albopictus in the Americas; The Minimum Infection Rate Suggests That Is More Efficient in the Vertical Than Horizontal Transmission of Arboviruses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian E. Garcia-Rejon ◽  
Juan-Carlos Navarro ◽  
Nohemi Cigarroa-Toledo ◽  
Carlos M. Baak-Baak
Keyword(s):  
Infection Rate ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Horizontal Transmission ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Invasive Mosquito ◽  
Endemic Transmission ◽  
Minimum Infection Rate

The aim of the work was to update the distribution range of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus Skuse in the Americas, review the blood feeding patterns and compare the minimum infection rate (MIR) between studies of vertical and horizontal transmission of arboviruses. The current distribution of Ae. albopictus encompasses 21 countries in the Americas. In eleven published papers on the blood feeding pattern of Ae. albopictus, DNA from 16 species of mammals and five species of avian species was found. The most common host is humans, and dogs. We found 24 published papers on the identification of arboviruses in wild populations of Ae. albopictus with the potential to infect humans and animals. Eight arboviruses have been isolated in different studies carried out in Brazil, USA, Mexico, Colombia, and Costa Rica. Fifty-eight percent (14/24) of the publications reported vertical transmission of arbovirus. Positive pools were higher in vertical (8.45%) compared to horizontal transmission (0.97%). This was supported by the MIR, which was 3 times greater in vertical (MIR=3.21) than horizontal transmission (MIR= 1.08). In conclusion, Ae. albopictus is an invasive mosquito with wide phenotypic plasticity to adapt to broad and new areas, high vectorial competence to transmit several arboviruses mainly by transovarial transmission, it can participate in the endemic transmission, and serve as a bridge vector for emerging arboviruses between sylvan, rural, and urban areas.

scholarly journals Invasive mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) in Serbia

Biljni lekar ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 686-702
Author(s):  
Mihaela Kavran ◽  
Aleksandra Ignjatović-Ćupina ◽  
Dušan Petrić
Keyword(s):  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Invasive Mosquito Species ◽  
Asian Tiger ◽  
Intercontinental Transport ◽  
Invasive Mosquito ◽  
Tropical Areas ◽  
Vector Borne

Invasive mosquito species surveillance has been carried out in Europe since late 1990s, and the results revealed that their distribution range and population density have been increasing every year (ECDC, 2020). Majority of European countries are affected by at least one of invasive mosquito species, which are considered as important vector species of public health concern. Aedes invasive species are very aggressive daily biters and highly competitive with native mosquito species coexisting in the same breeding sites. Although pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes are much bigger problem in tropical areas, imported and autothonous cases of these diseases have been recorded every year in Europe. International and intercontinental transport of humans and goods increase the likely-hood of outbreaks caused by vector-borne pathogens. Cases of imported invasive mosquito species and cases of imported human infection (with Dengue and Chikungunya virus, imported and autohtonous) are increasing every year. Together with the presence of invasive mosquito species, outbreaks caused by vector-borne pathogens are significantly driven by human behaviour, ecosystem and climat changes. Two invasive mosquito species were present in Serbia so far: Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) and Aedes japonicus (Japaneese bush mosquito). Populations of Ae. albopicus has been succesfully spreading in many urban and suburban areas in our country, while Ae. japonicus was identified in only two localities up today. According to the experience from Croatia, where this mosquito species is widely spread, similar scenario could be expected in Serbia as well.

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