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Boerlijst SP, van der Gaast A, Adema LMW, Bouman RW, Boelee E, van Bodegom PM, Schrama M. Taking it with a grain of salt: tolerance to increasing salinization in Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) across a low-lying delta. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:251. [PMID: 38858771 PMCID: PMC11165877 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06268-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Salinity, exacerbated by rising sea levels, is a critical environmental cue affecting freshwater ecosystems. Predicting ecosystem structure in response to such changes and their implications for the geographical distribution of arthropod disease vectors requires further insights into the plasticity and adaptability of lower trophic level species in freshwater systems. Our study investigated whether populations of the mosquito Culex pipiens, typically considered sensitive to salt, have adapted due to gradual exposure. METHODS Mesocosm experiments were conducted to evaluate responses in life history traits to increasing levels of salinity in three populations along a gradient perpendicular to the North Sea coast. Salt concentrations up to the brackish-marine transition zone (8 g/l chloride) were used, upon which no survival was expected. To determine how this process affects oviposition, a colonization experiment was performed by exposing the coastal population to the same concentrations. RESULTS While concentrations up to the currently described median lethal dose (LD50) (4 g/l) were surprisingly favored during egg laying, even the treatment with the highest salt concentration was incidentally colonized. Differences in development rates among populations were observed, but the influence of salinity was evident only at 4 g/l and higher, resulting in only a 1-day delay. Mortality rates were lower than expected, reaching only 20% for coastal and inland populations and 41% for the intermediate population at the highest salinity. Sex ratios remained unaffected across the tested range. CONCLUSIONS The high tolerance to salinity for all key life history parameters across populations suggests that Cx. pipiens is unlikely to shift its distribution in the foreseeable future, with potential implications for the disease risk of associated pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Philip Boerlijst
- Center for Environmental Research Leiden, Department of Environmental Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Division of Inland Water Systems, Deltares, 177, 2600 MH, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Antje van der Gaast
- Center for Environmental Research Leiden, Department of Environmental Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa Maria Wilhelmina Adema
- Center for Environmental Research Leiden, Department of Environmental Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Roderick Wiebe Bouman
- Hortus Botanicus Leiden, 9500, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, 9505, 2300 RA, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Eline Boelee
- Division of Inland Water Systems, Deltares, 177, 2600 MH, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Michiel van Bodegom
- Center for Environmental Research Leiden, Department of Environmental Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Schrama
- Center for Environmental Research Leiden, Department of Environmental Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Shteindel N, Gerchman Y, Silberbush A. Mosquito Egg Raft Distribution Is Affected by Semiochemicals: Indication of Interspecific Competition. INSECTS 2024; 15:364. [PMID: 38786920 PMCID: PMC11121923 DOI: 10.3390/insects15050364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Numerous species of animals alter their behavior in response to increasing competition. To do so, they must possess the ability to detect the presence and density of interspecific competitors. We studied the role of semiochemicals released by increasing densities of larval Culiseta longiareolata Macquart on female oviposition habitat selection in two field experiments. Similarly to C. longiareolata larvae, subordinate Culex laticinctus Edwards are periphyton grazers who dwell in rain-filled pools in the Mediterranean region. We show that C. laticinctus females oviposited significantly less in mesocosm pools that were treated with crowding signals originating from C. longiareolata larvae. In the second experiment, we placed a similar number of larvae directly inside the 50 L mesocosms. These low-density mesocosms did not affect C. laticinctus oviposition but were attractive to conspecific oviposition. These results increase our understanding of the female ability to detect species-specific signals, indicating increased larval competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimrod Shteindel
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel; (N.S.); (Y.G.)
| | - Yoram Gerchman
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel; (N.S.); (Y.G.)
- Oranim College of Education, Tivon 3600600, Israel
| | - Alon Silberbush
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel; (N.S.); (Y.G.)
- Oranim College of Education, Tivon 3600600, Israel
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Pautzke KC, Felsot AS, Reganold JP, Owen JP. Effects of soil on the development, survival, and oviposition of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:154. [PMID: 38523287 PMCID: PMC10960989 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06202-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Water quality is known to influence the development and survival of larval mosquitoes, which affects mosquito-borne pathogen transmission as a function of the number of mosquitoes that reach adulthood and blood feed. Although water properties are known to affect mosquito development, few studies have investigated the link among soil properties, water quality, and mosquito development. Given the large number of ground-breeding mosquito species, this linkage is a potentially important factor to consider in mosquito ecology. In this study, we explored the effects of different soils on multiple life history parameters of the ground-breeding mosquito species Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae). METHODS Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae were reared in water combined with different soil substrates (sandy, silt, or clay loam textures) at increasing soil to water volume ratios, with and without the addition of organic matter (fish food). Gravid mosquitoes were offered different soil-water extracts to investigate soil effects on oviposition preference. RESULTS Without the addition of organic matter, larval survival and development differed significantly among waters with different soil textures and volumes of substrate. Mosquitoes in water with clay loam soil survived longer and developed further than mosquitoes in other soil waters. Larvae survived for longer periods of time with increased volumes of soil substrate. Adding organic matter reduced the differences in larval survival time, development, and pupation among soil-water extracts. Adult female mosquitoes oviposited more frequently in water with clay loam soil, but the addition of organic matter reduced the soil effects on oviposition preference. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests soil composition affects larval mosquito survival and development, as well as the oviposition preference of gravid females. Future studies could differentiate abiotic and biotic soil features that affect mosquitoes and incorporate soil variation at the landscape scale into models to predict mosquito population dynamics and mosquito-borne pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellen C Pautzke
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
| | - Allan S Felsot
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - John P Reganold
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Jeb P Owen
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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Boerlijst SP, Johnston ES, Ummels A, Krol L, Boelee E, van Bodegom PM, Schrama MJJ. Biting the hand that feeds: Anthropogenic drivers interactively make mosquitoes thrive. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159716. [PMID: 36302419 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic stressors on the environment are increasing at unprecedented rates and include urbanization, nutrient pollution, water management, altered land use and climate change. Their effects on disease vectors are poorly understood. A series of full factorial experiments investigated how key human induced abiotic pressures, and interactions between these, affect population parameters of the cosmopolitan disease vector, Culex pipiens s.l. Selected pressures include eutrophication, salinity, mean temperature, and temperature fluctuation. Data were collected for each individual pressure and for potential interactions between eutrophication, salinization and temperature. All experiments assessed survival, time to pupation, time to emergence, sex-ratio and ovipositioning behavior. The results show that stressors affect vector survival, may speed up development and alter female to male ratio, although large differences between stressors exist to quite different extents. While positive effects of increasing levels of eutrophication on survival were consistent, negative effects of salinity on survival were only apparent at higher temperatures, thus indicating a strong interaction effect between salinization and temperature. Temperature had no independent effect on larval survival. Overall, increasing eutrophication and temperatures, and the fluctuations thereof, lowered development rate, time to pupation and time to emergence while increasing levels of salinity increased development time. Higher levels of eutrophication positively impacted egg-laying behavior; the reverse was found for salinity while no effects of temperature on egg-laying behavior were observed. Results suggest large and positive impacts of anthropogenically induced habitat alterations on mosquito population dynamics. Many of these effects are exacerbated by increasing temperatures and fluctuations therein. In a world where eutrophication and salinization are increasingly abundant, mosquitoes are likely important benefactors. Ultimately, this study illustrates the importance of including multiple and combined stressors in predictive models as well as in prevention and mitigation strategies, particularly because they resonate with possible, but yet underdeveloped action plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- S P Boerlijst
- Center for Environmental Research Leiden, Department of Environmental biology, University of Leiden, Einsteinweg 2, 2333CC Leiden, the Netherlands; Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, 3584 BK Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - E S Johnston
- University of Utrecht, Department Population Health Sciences, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - A Ummels
- Center for Environmental Research Leiden, Department of Environmental biology, University of Leiden, Einsteinweg 2, 2333CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - L Krol
- Center for Environmental Research Leiden, Department of Environmental biology, University of Leiden, Einsteinweg 2, 2333CC Leiden, the Netherlands; Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, 3584 BK Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - E Boelee
- Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, 3584 BK Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - P M van Bodegom
- Center for Environmental Research Leiden, Department of Environmental biology, University of Leiden, Einsteinweg 2, 2333CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - M J J Schrama
- Center for Environmental Research Leiden, Department of Environmental biology, University of Leiden, Einsteinweg 2, 2333CC Leiden, the Netherlands
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Silberbush A. Fish-Released Kairomones Affect Mosquito Oviposition and Larval Life History. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:78-82. [PMID: 34430976 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab145] [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: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Several species of mosquitoes respond to the presence of kairomones released by larvivorous predators during oviposition habitat selection and larval development. These responses may differ among mosquito species and do not always correlate with larval survival. This study examined the responses of the mosquito Culiseta longiareolata Macquart (Diptera: Culicidae) to kairomones released by three species of fish, Gambusia affinis (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae), Aphanius mento (Cyprinodontiformes: Cyprinodontidae) and Garra rufa (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) during oviposition. In addition, the study examined the effects of kairomones released by Gm. affinis on larval development and survival. Results show that ovipositing female avoided cues from the two larvivorous fish species but not the algivorous Gr. rufa. In addition, developing larvae metamorphosed slower and showed increased mortality when exposed to fish-released kairomones. Culiseta longiareolata larvae are known as dominant competitors, and the straightforward responses of both larvae and adult female to fish-released kairomones may be explained by the lack of additional sources of larval stress other than the presence of predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alon Silberbush
- Department of Biology and Environment, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa - Oranim, Tivon 36006, Israel
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Culshaw‐Maurer M, Sih A, Rosenheim JA. Bugs scaring bugs: enemy-risk effects in biological control systems. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1693-1714. [PMID: 32902103 PMCID: PMC7692946 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Enemy-risk effects, often referred to as non-consumptive effects (NCEs), are an important feature of predator-prey ecology, but their significance has had little impact on the conceptual underpinning or practice of biological control. We provide an overview of enemy-risk effects in predator-prey interactions, discuss ways in which risk effects may impact biocontrol programs and suggest avenues for further integration of natural enemy ecology and integrated pest management. Enemy-risk effects can have important influences on different stages of biological control programs, including natural enemy selection, efficacy testing and quantification of non-target impacts. Enemy-risk effects can also shape the interactions of biological control with other pest management practices. Biocontrol systems also provide community ecologists with some of the richest examples of behaviourally mediated trophic cascades and demonstrations of how enemy-risk effects play out among species with no shared evolutionary history, important topics for invasion biology and conservation. We conclude that the longstanding use of ecological theory by biocontrol practitioners should be expanded to incorporate enemy-risk effects, and that community ecologists will find many opportunities to study enemy-risk effects in biocontrol settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Culshaw‐Maurer
- Department of Entomology and NematologyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCA95616USA
- Department of Evolution and EcologyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCA95616USA
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCA95616USA
| | - Jay A. Rosenheim
- Department of Entomology and NematologyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCA95616USA
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Smith GR, Harmon JJ. Differential oviposition and offspring success of gray treefrogs in the presence of an invasive fish. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Saward-Arav D, Sadeh A, Mangel M, Templeton AR, Blaustein L. Oviposition responses of two mosquito species to pool size and predator presence: varying trade-offs between desiccation and predation risks. Isr J Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/15659801.2015.1069113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Natural selection is predicted to favor females that can detect risks of desiccation and predation when choosing among temporary pools for oviposition. Pool size may serve both as a cue for desiccation risk and as a predictor for future colonization by predators or for the probability of present, undetected predators. Therefore, oviposition responses to pool size are expected to interact with the presence of predators that can be detected. We measured oviposition by two mosquito species, Culiseta longiareolata and Culex laticinctus, in a mesocosm experiment, crossing two pool surface sizes with presence or absence of the hemipteran predator, Notonecta maculata, which is chemically detectable by mosquitoes. Both mosquito species strongly avoided Notonecta pools. Using a mechanistic statistical model, we accounted for the higher encounter rate of females with larger pools, and determined their true oviposition preferences for pool size. C. laticinctus showed a clear preference for larger pools, but C. longiareolata, a species with larvae more vulnerable to predation, showed no significant preference for pool size. This study confirms the importance of risk of predation in explaining oviposition patterns, and suggests a possible inter-specific variation in the trade-off between predation and desiccation risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Saward-Arav
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Institute of Evolution and Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa
| | - Asaf Sadeh
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Institute of Evolution and Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa
| | - Marc Mangel
- Center for Stock Assessment Research and Department of Applied Mathematics and
Statistics, Jack Baskin School of Engineering, University of California
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen
| | - Alan R. Templeton
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Institute of Evolution and Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa
- Department of Biology, Washington University
| | - Leon Blaustein
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Institute of Evolution and Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa
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Tsurim I, Silberbush A. Detrivory, competition, and apparent predation by Culiseta longiareolata in a temporary pool ecosystem. Isr J Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/15659801.2015.1065153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Larvae of the mosquito Culiseta longiareolata Macquart have been suggested as important species in desert and Mediterranean temporary pond ecosystems through their strong competitive abilities and as intra-guild predators. We examined their potential predatory effect on larvae of the abundant saltmarsh mosquito Ochlerotatus caspius. We did not find evidence for predatory effects of C. longiareolata on O. caspius larvae. We suggest that, at least in our system, C. longiareolata is an apparent predator. Namely, it does not actively prey on mobile victims, but rather feeds on the carcasses of its fallen competitors additional to its generally immobile food. Hence, we do not expect the occurrence of anti-predator behaviors in response to C. longiareolata presence, including larval development characteristics and oviposition habitat selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Tsurim
- Department of Life Sciences, Achva Academic College
- Department of Life Sciences, Center for Biological Control (CBC), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
| | - Alon Silberbush
- Department of Life Sciences, Center for Biological Control (CBC), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
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Afify A, Galizia CG. Chemosensory Cues for Mosquito Oviposition Site Selection. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 52:120-30. [PMID: 26336295 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tju024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Gravid mosquitoes use chemosensory (olfactory, gustatory, or both) cues to select oviposition sites suitable for their offspring. In nature, these cues originate from plant infusions, microbes, mosquito immature stages, and predators. While attractants and stimulants are cues that could show the availability of food (plant infusions and microbes) and suitable conditions (the presence of conspecifics), repellents and deterrents show the risk of predation, infection with pathogens, or strong competition. Many studies have addressed the question of which substances can act as positive or negative cues in different mosquito species, with sometimes apparently contradicting results. These studies often differ in species, substance concentration, and other experimental details, making it difficult to compare the results. In this review, we compiled the available information for a wide range of species and substances, with particular attention to cues originating from larval food, immature stages, predators, and to synthetic compounds. We note that the effect of many substances differs between species, and that many substances have been tested in few species only, revealing that the information is scattered across species, substances, and experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Afify
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, D-78457, Konstanz, Germany.Corresponding author, e-mail:
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