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Martina C, Krenn L, Krupicka L, Yamada H, Hood-Nowotny R, Lahuatte PF, Yar J, Schwemhofer T, Fischer B, Causton CE, Tebbich S. Evaluating Volatile Plant Compounds of Psidium galapageium (Myrtales: Myrtaceae) as Repellents Against Invasive Parasitic Diptera in the Galapagos Islands. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:89-98. [PMID: 34761264 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant-based repellents represent a safe, economic, and viable alternative to managing invasive insects that threaten native fauna. Observations of self-medication in animals can provide important cues to the medicinal properties of plants. A recent study in the Galapagos Islands found that Darwin's finches apply the leaves of Psidium galapageium (Hooker 1847) to their feathers, extracts of which were repellent to mosquitoes and the parasitic fly Philornis downsi (Dodge & Aitkens 1968; Diptera: Muscidae). Introduced mosquitoes are suspected vectors of avian pathogens in the Galapagos Islands, whereas the larvae of P. downsi are blood-feeders, causing significant declines of the endemic avifauna. In this study, we investigated the volatile compounds found in P. galapageium, testing each against a model organism, the mosquito Anopheles arabiensis (Patton 1905; Diptera: Culicidae), with the aim of singling out the most effective compound for repelling dipterans. Examinations of an ethanolic extract of P. galapageium, its essential oil and each of their respective fractions, revealed a mixture of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, the latter consisting mainly of guaiol, trans-nerolidol, and β-eudesmol. Of these, trans-nerolidol was identified as the most effective repellent to mosquitoes. This was subsequently tested at four different concentrations against P. downsi, but we did not find a repellence response. A tendency to avoid the compound was observed, albeit significance was not achieved in any case. The lack of repellence suggests that flies may respond to a combination of the volatile compounds found in P. galapageium, rather than to a single compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Martina
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Insect Pest Control Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, 1400, Vienna, Austria
| | - L Krenn
- Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - L Krupicka
- Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - H Yamada
- Insect Pest Control Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, 1400, Vienna, Austria
| | - R Hood-Nowotny
- Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - P F Lahuatte
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - J Yar
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - T Schwemhofer
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - B Fischer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Theoretical Biology, University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - C E Causton
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - S Tebbich
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Benelli G, Buttazzoni L, Canale A, D'Andrea A, Del Serrone P, Delrio G, Foxi C, Mariani S, Savini G, Vadivalagan C, Murugan K, Toniolo C, Nicoletti M, Serafini M. Bluetongue outbreaks: Looking for effective control strategies against Culicoides vectors. Res Vet Sci 2017; 115:263-270. [PMID: 28577491 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2017.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Several arthropod-borne diseases are now rising with increasing impact and risks for public health, due to environmental changes and resistance to pesticides currently marketed. In addition to community surveillance programs and a careful management of herds, a next-generation of effective products is urgently needed to control the spread of these diseases, with special reference to arboviral ones. Natural product research can afford alternative solutions. Recently, a re-emerging of bluetongue disease is ongoing in Italy. Bluetongue is a viral disease that affects ruminants and is spread through the bite of bloodsucking insects, especially Culicoides species. In this review, we focused on the importance of vector control programs for prevention or bluetongue outbreaks, outlining the lack of effective tools in the fight against Culicoides vectors. Then, we analyzed a field case study in Sardinia (Italy) concerning the utilization of the neem cake (Azadirachta indica), to control young instar populations of Culicoides biting midges, the vectors of bluetongue virus. Neem cake is a cheap and eco-friendly by-product obtained from the extraction of neem oil. Overall, we propose that the employ of neem extraction by-products as aqueous formulations in muddy sites close to livestock grazing areas may represent an effective tool in the fight against the spread of bluetongue virus in the Mediterranean areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Benelli
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Luca Buttazzoni
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, CREA, Centro di Ricerca per la Zootecnia e l'Acquacoltura, CREA ZA, Sede di Monterotondo, Via Salaria 31, 00015 Monterotondo Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Canale
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Armando D'Andrea
- C. R. ENEA Casaccia, UTEE, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123, S. M. Galeria, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Del Serrone
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, CREA, Centro di Ricerca per la Zootecnia e l'Acquacoltura, CREA ZA, Sede di Monterotondo, Via Salaria 31, 00015 Monterotondo Rome, Italy
| | - Gavino Delrio
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione di Patologia Vegetale ed Entomologia, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Via Enrico de Nicola, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Cipriano Foxi
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione di Patologia Vegetale ed Entomologia, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Via Enrico de Nicola, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Susanna Mariani
- C. R. ENEA Casaccia, UTEE, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123, S. M. Galeria, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Savini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Chithravel Vadivalagan
- Division of Entomology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Kadarkarai Murugan
- Division of Entomology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, Tamil Nadu, India; Thiruvalluvar University (State University), Serkkadu, Vellore 632 115, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Chiara Toniolo
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Nicoletti
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Serafini
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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Soler JJ, Ruiz-Castellano C, Figuerola J, Martín-Vivaldi M, Martínez-de la Puente J, Ruiz-Rodríguez M, Tomás G. Telomere length and dynamics of spotless starling nestlings depend on nest-building materials used by parents. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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González M, Venter GJ, López S, Iturrondobeitia JC, Goldarazena A. Laboratory and field evaluations of chemical and plant-derived potential repellents against Culicoides biting midges in northern Spain. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2014; 28:421-431. [PMID: 25079042 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The efficacy of 23 compounds in repelling Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), particularly Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) females, was determined by means of a Y-tube olfactometer. The 10 most effective compounds were further evaluated in landing bioassays. The six most promising compounds (including chemical and plant-derived repellents) were evaluated at 10% and 25% concentrations in field assays using Centers for Disease Control (CDC) light traps. At least three compounds showed promising results against Culicoides biting midges with the methodologies used. Whereas olfactometer assays indicated DEET at 1 µg/µL to be the most effective repellent, filter paper landing bioassays showed plant-derived oils to be better. Light traps fitted with polyester mesh impregnated with a mixture of octanoic, decanoic and nonanoic fatty acids at 10% and 25% concentrations collected 2.2 and 3.6 times fewer midges than control traps and were as effective as DEET, which is presently considered the reference standard insect repellent. The best plant-derived product was lemon eucalyptus oil. Although these have been reported as safe potential repellents, the present results indicate DEET and the mixture of organic fatty acids to be superior and longer lasting.
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Affiliation(s)
- M González
- Entomology Laboratory, Basque Institute of Agricultural Research and Development, NEIKER-TECNALIA, Vitoria, Spain
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Venter GJ, Labuschagne K, Boikanyo SNB, Morey L. Assessment of the repellent effect of citronella and lemon eucalyptus oil against South African Culicoides species. J S Afr Vet Assoc 2014; 85:e1-e5. [PMID: 25686204 DOI: 10.4102/jsava.v85i1.992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Revised: 06/19/2013] [Accepted: 07/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of insect repellents to reduce the attack rate of Culicoides species (Diptera:Ceratopogonidae) should form part of an integrated control programme to combat African horse sickness and other diseases transmitted by these blood-feeding midges. In the present study the repellent effects of a commercially available mosquito repellent, a combination of citronella and lemon eucalyptus oils, on Culicoides midges was determined. The number of midges collected with two 220 V Onderstepoort traps fitted with 8 W 23 cm white light tubes and baited with peel-stick patches, each containing 40 mg of active ingredient, was compared with that of two unbaited traps. Two trials were conducted and in each trial the four traps were rotated in two replicates of a 4 x 4 randomised Latin square design. Although more midges were collected in the baited traps, the mean number in the baited and unbaited traps was not significantly different. This mosquito repellent did not influence either the species composition or the physiological groups of Culicoides imicola Kieffer. The higher mean numbers in the baited traps, although not statistically significant, may indicate that this mosquito repellent might even attract Culicoides midges under certain conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert J Venter
- Parasites, Vectors & Vectorborne Diseases Programme, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
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Abstract
SUMMARYThe effect of insect vectors on avian exposure to infection by pathogens remains poorly studied. Here, we used an insect repellent treatment to reduce the number of blood-sucking flying insects in blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus nests and examined its effect on nestling health status measured as body mass, nestling phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) response and blood parasite prevalence. We found that (i) the insect repellent treatment significantly reduced the number of blood-sucking flying insects in nests and (ii) the number of blood-sucking flying insects had a significant effect on the prevalence of the blood parasite Trypanosoma independently of the treatment. In addition, we found support for an adverse effect of parasite infections on nestling PHA response. Nestlings infected by Trypanosoma mounted a weaker response against PHA than non-parasitized ones. In addition, the number of blowflies in the nest was negatively associated with nestling PHA response. Overall, we found support for the hypothesis that blood-sucking flying insects attacking nestlings increase their exposure to parasite infections. Our results further substantiate the adverse effect of parasites on nestling condition.
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