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Stabentheiner A, Mauerhofer T, Willfurth R, Kovac H, Stabentheiner E, Käfer H, Petrocelli I. The costs of overwintering in paper wasps (Polistes dominula and Polistes gallicus): the use of energy stores. J Comp Physiol B 2024; 194:131-144. [PMID: 38441658 PMCID: PMC11070328 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-024-01540-w] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Overwintering insects are facing energetic challenges because of food shortage, low temperature, and desiccation stress. Paper wasps of the genus Polistes overwinter as mated adults (gynes) in hibernacula protecting them from predation, snow, and rain but barely from low environmental temperature. In different climates, they face differing overwintering temperature regimes, and therefore they may differ in their energy use. We investigated how much of energy resources built up until autumn is used during diapause dormancy in natural hibernacula by measuring lipid, glycogen, and free carbohydrate content in autumn and early spring in Polistes dominula from temperate European (Austrian) and warm Mediterranean (Italian) climate and Polistes gallicus from Mediterranean climate. Winter energy consumption amounted to ~ 339 and ~ 310 J per wasp in the Austrian and Italian Polistes dominula populations. The smaller Italian Polistes gallicus consumed ~ 247 J. This amounts to 2.62, 2.35, and 1.79 J per day. Of this, the energy demand was mainly fuelled by lipids (84%, 93%, and 90%, respectively), but glycogen stores contributed also considerably (16%, 6%, and 9%). Free carbohydrates decreased only by 0.7%, 1%, and 0.8%. While fat stores seem still sufficient in spring, the wasps depleted most of their carbohydrates. The energy reserves of 396, 400, and 147 J per wasp remaining in spring in the three populations seem sufficient to fuel rest or simple brood care activities for a whole summer but restrict foraging flights to a few hours (~ 3.5-6 h). Results suggest that energy supply might become challenging in expected future climate scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Stabentheiner
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
| | - Teresa Mauerhofer
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Regina Willfurth
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Helmut Kovac
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
| | - Edith Stabentheiner
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Helmut Käfer
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Iacopo Petrocelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano, 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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2
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Ioannou CS, Savvidou EC, Apocha L, Terblanche JS, Papadopoulos NT. Insecticide resistant mosquitoes remain thermal stress resistant, without loss of thermal plasticity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169443. [PMID: 38114031 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169443] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
A major component of mosquito's climate change response is their heat tolerance, and any ability to rapidly adjust to extreme environmental conditions through phenotypic plasticity. The excessive use of insecticides for the control of major mosquito species leads to resistant populations, however it is largely unclear if this concurrently impacts thermal stress resistance and their potential to adjust tolerance via phenotypic plasticity. Culex pipiens pipiens, Culex pipiens molestus and Aedes albopictus populations obtained from the same region were subjected for 12 generations to selection trials to larvicides Diflubenzuron (DFB) and Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) to develop insecticide resistance. Adults emerging from the selected populations were acclimated at different temperatures and the upper and lower critical thermal limits (CTmax and CTmin) were estimated using dynamic thermal assays. In addition, the supercooling points (SCPs) of non-acclimated adults of resistant and control populations were determined. Our results revealed marked differences in thermal response among the three species, the different acclimation regimes and sexes. Aedes albopictus was more resistant in high than low temperatures compared to both Culex pipiens biotypes. Culex forms responded similarly to heat but differently to cold stress. In both forms, females responded better than males to all thermal stressors. Acclimation at higher and lower temperatures improves CTmax and CTmin values, respectively in both insecticide resistant and control populations of all three species. Overall, selection to insecticides did not affect the thermal performance of adults. Hence, insecticide-resistant mosquito populations perform similarly to untreated ones and are capable of readily adapting to new environmental changes rising concerns regarding their geographic range expansion and disease transmission globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charalampos S Ioannou
- Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Greece
| | - Eleni C Savvidou
- Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Greece
| | - Lemonia Apocha
- Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Greece
| | - John S Terblanche
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Conservation Ecology & Entomology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - Nikos T Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Greece.
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3
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Allen MC, Ritchie MW, El-Saadi MI, MacMillan HA. Effects of a high cholesterol diet on chill tolerance are highly context-dependent in Drosophila. J Therm Biol 2024; 119:103789. [PMID: 38340464 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103789] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Chill susceptible insects are thought to be injured through different mechanisms depending on the duration and severity of chilling. While chronic chilling causes "indirect" injury through disruption of metabolic and ion homeostasis, acute chilling is suspected to cause "direct" injury, in part through phase transitions of cell membrane lipids. Dietary supplementation of cholesterol can reduce acute chilling injury in Drosophila melanogaster (Shreve et al., 2007), but the generality of this effect and the mechanisms underlying it remain unclear. To better understand how and why cholesterol has this effect, we assessed how a high cholesterol diet and thermal acclimation independently and interactively impact several measures of chill tolerance. Cholesterol supplementation positively affected tolerance to acute chilling in warm-acclimated flies (as reported previously). Conversely, feeding on the high-cholesterol diet negatively affected tolerance to chronic chilling in both cold and warm acclimated flies, as well as tolerance to acute chilling in cold acclimated flies. Cholesterol had no effect on the ability of flies to remain active in the cold or recover movement after a cold stress. Our findings support the idea that dietary cholesterol reduces mechanical injury to membranes caused by direct chilling injury, and that acute and chronic chilling are associated with distinct mechanisms of injury. Feeding on a high-cholesterol diet may interfere with mechanisms involved in cold acclimation, leaving cholesterol augmented flies more susceptible to chilling injury under some conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell C Allen
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Marshall W Ritchie
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Mahmoud I El-Saadi
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Heath A MacMillan
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada.
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4
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Enriquez T, Visser B. The importance of fat accumulation and reserves for insect overwintering. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 60:101118. [PMID: 37739063 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Winter is a challenging season for ectothermic species such as insects. In addition to thermal stress imposed by cold temperatures, food scarcity during winter can lead to starvation and energy drain. In preparation for winter, most insects accumulate lipid (fat) reserves, which are the principal source of energetic fuel during overwintering. In this review, we highlight the most recent literature on lipid metabolism in response to cold. We first discuss how lipid metabolism is affected by biotic and abiotic environmental changes in preparation for winter. We then highlight how lipid dynamics are affected during winter, including physiological and (epi)genetic mechanisms. We end our review emphasizing the importance of remaining fat reserves in spring and how climate change can negatively impact lipid metabolism and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Enriquez
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, University of Liège - Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Gembloux, Belgium.
| | - Bertanne Visser
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, University of Liège - Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Gembloux, Belgium
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Roberts KT, Szejner-Sigal A, Lehmann P. Seasonal energetics: are insects constrained by energy during dormancy? J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245782. [PMID: 37921417 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245782] [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] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
In seasonal environments, many animals, including insects, enter dormancy, where they are limited to a fixed energy budget. The inability to replenish energetic stores during these periods suggests insects should be constrained by pre-dormancy energy stores. Over the last century, the community of researchers working on survival during dormancy has operated under the strong assumption that energy limitation is a key fitness trait driving the evolution of seasonal strategies. That is, energy use has to be minimized during dormancy because insects otherwise run out of energy and die during dormancy, or are left with too little energy to complete development, reproductive maturation or other costly post-dormancy processes such as dispersal or nest building. But if energy is so strongly constrained during dormancy, how can some insects - even within the same species and population - be dormant in very warm environments or show prolonged dormancy for many successive years? In this Commentary, we discuss major assumptions regarding dormancy energetics and outline cases where insects appear to align with our assumptions and where they do not. We then highlight several research directions that could help link organismal energy use with landscape-level changes. Overall, the optimal energetic strategy during dormancy might not be to simply minimize metabolic rate, but instead to maintain a level that matches the demands of the specific life-history strategy. Given the influence of temperature on energy use rates of insects in winter, understanding dormancy energetic strategies is critical in order to determine the potential impacts of climate change on insects in seasonal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin T Roberts
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andre Szejner-Sigal
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Philipp Lehmann
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Animal Physiology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
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Kovac H, Käfer H, Petrocelli I, Amstrup AB, Stabentheiner A. The Impact of Climate on the Energetics of Overwintering Paper Wasp Gynes ( Polistes dominula and Polistes gallicus). INSECTS 2023; 14:849. [PMID: 37999050 PMCID: PMC10672273 DOI: 10.3390/insects14110849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Gynes of paper wasps (Polistes sp.) spend the cold season in sheltered hibernacles. These hibernacles protect against predators and adverse weather conditions but offer only limited protection against low temperatures. During overwintering diapause, wasps live on the energy they store. We investigated the hibernacles' microclimate conditions of species from the Mediterranean (Italy, P. dominula, P. gallicus) and temperate (Austria, P. dominula) climates in order to describe the environmental conditions and calculate the energetic demand of overwintering according to standard metabolic rate functions. The temperatures at the hibernacles differed significantly between the Mediterranean and temperate habitats (average in Austria: 3.2 ± 5.71 °C, in Italy: 8.5 ± 5.29 °C). In both habitats, the hibernacle temperatures showed variance, but the mean hibernacle temperature corresponded closely to the meteorological climate data. Cumulative mass-specific energetic costs over the studied period were the lowest for the temperate P. dominula population compared with both Mediterranean species. The lower costs of the temperate species were a result of the lower hibernacle temperature and acclimation to lower environmental temperatures. Model calculations with an increased mean temperature of up to 3 °C due to climate change indicate a dramatic increase of up to 40% in additional costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut Kovac
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Helmut Käfer
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Iacopo Petrocelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Astrid B. Amstrup
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Department of Biology—Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anton Stabentheiner
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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7
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Sauer FG, Timmermann E, Lange U, Lühken R, Kiel E. Effects of Hibernation Site, Temperature, and Humidity on the Abundance and Survival of Overwintering Culex pipiens pipiens and Anopheles messeae (Diptera: Culicidae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:2013-2021. [PMID: 36130183 PMCID: PMC9667720 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge of the hibernation site preferences and the factors which influence winter survival in these hibernation sites may enhance understanding of mosquito population dynamics after winter and how arboviruses persist in temperate regions. Our study quantified the number of adult overwintering mosquitoes in cellars and aboveground constructions and analyzed survival rates in relation to the environmental conditions in these sites. During the winters 2016/2017 and 2018/2019, 149 different constructions in Northwest Germany were sampled for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were detected in 44% of the cellars and in 33% of the aboveground constructions. Culex p. pipiens Linnaeus was the most abundant species in cellars, whereas high numbers of Anopheles messeae Falleroni were collected from a single barn. Subsequently, an enclosure study was conducted during 2019/2020. Overwintering field-collected Cx. p. pipiens and An. messeae were divided into groups with or without fructose availability, and placed in cages with different man-made hibernations sites, where temperature and relative humidity were recorded hourly. For both species, increasing mean temperatures (5-16°C) but not mean relative humidity (58-94%) were correlated with winter mortality rates of the mosquitoes. The lipid measurements were greater and mortality rates were lower when both species were provided fructose. Larger specimens (determined by wing length) stored more lipids, and in Cx. p pipiens, but not in An. messeae, survival probability of large specimens was significantly greater than for small females. Mosquitoes showed a distinct pattern in the selection of overwintering sites, while temperature was an important driver for survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - E Timmermann
- Aquatic Ecology and Nature Conservation, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - U Lange
- Arbovirus Ecology, Department of Arbovirology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - R Lühken
- Arbovirus Ecology, Department of Arbovirology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - E Kiel
- Aquatic Ecology and Nature Conservation, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
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8
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Cuervo PF, Artigas P, Mas-Coma S, Bargues MD. West Nile virus in Spain: Forecasting the geographical distribution of risky areas with an ecological niche modelling approach. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:e1113-e1129. [PMID: 34812589 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV), a well-known emerging vector-borne arbovirus with a zoonotic life cycle, represents a threat to both public and animal health. Transmitted by ornithophilic mosquitoes, its transmission is difficult to predict and even more difficult to prevent. The massive and unprecedented number of human cases and equid outbreaks in Spain during 2020 interpellates for new approaches. For the first time, we present an integrate analysis from a niche perspective to provide an insight to the situation of West Nile disease (WND) in Spain. Our modelling approach benefits from the combined use of global occurrence records of outbreaks of WND in equids and of its two alleged main vectors in Spain, Culex pipiens and Cx. perexiguus. Maps of the climatic suitability for the presence of the two vectors species and for the circulation of WNV are provided. The main outcome of our study is a map delineating the areas under certain climatic risk of transmission. Our analyses indicate that the climatic risk of transmission of WND is medium in areas nearby the south Atlantic coastal area of the Cadiz Gulf and the Mediterranean coast, and high in southwestern Spain. The higher risk of transmission in the basins of the rivers Guadiana and Guadalquivir cannot be attributed exclusively to the local abundance of Cx. pipiens, but could be ascribed to the presence and abundance of Cx. perexiguus. Furthermore, this integrated analysis suggests that the WNV presents an ecological niche of its own, not fully overlapping the ones of its hosts or vector, and thus requiring particular environmental conditions to succeed in its infection cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Fernando Cuervo
- Facultad de Farmacia, Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.,Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICIVET - Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL)/Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Patricio Artigas
- Facultad de Farmacia, Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Santiago Mas-Coma
- Facultad de Farmacia, Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - María Dolores Bargues
- Facultad de Farmacia, Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
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9
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Didion EM, Sabree ZL, Kenyon L, Nine G, Hagan RW, Osman S, Benoit JB. Microbiome reduction prevents lipid accumulation during early diapause in the northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens pipiens. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 134:104295. [PMID: 34411585 PMCID: PMC8530159 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The mosquito microbiome is critical to multiple facets of their biology, including larval development and disease transmission. For mosquitoes that reside in temperate regions, periods of diapause are critical to overwintering survival, but how the microbiome impacts this state is unknown. In this study, we compared the midgut microbial communities of diapausing and non-diapausing Culex pipiens and assessed how a reduced midgut microbiome influences diapause preparation. High community variability was found within and between non-diapausing and diapausing individuals, but no specific diapause-based microbiome was noted. Emergence of adult, diapausing mosquitoes under sterile conditions generated low bacterial load (LBL) lines with nearly a 1000-fold reduction in bacteria levels. This reduction in bacterial content resulted in significantly lower survival of diapausing females after two weeks, indicating acquisition of the microbiome in adult females is critical for survival throughout diapause. LBL diapausing females had high carbohydrate levels, but did not accumulate lipid reserves, suggesting an inability to process ingested sugars necessary for diapause-associated lipid accumulation. Expression patterns of select genes associated with mosquito lipid metabolism during diapause showed no significant differences between LBL and control lines, suggesting transcriptional changes may not underlie impaired lipid accumulation. Overall, a diverse, adult-acquired microbiome is critical for diapause in C. pipiens to process sugar reserves and accumulate lipids that are necessary to survive prolonged overwintering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise M Didion
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
| | - Zakee L Sabree
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Laura Kenyon
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Gabriela Nine
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Richard W Hagan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Sema Osman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
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10
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Zittra C, Vitecek S, Teixeira J, Weber D, Schindelegger B, Schaffner F, Weigand AM. Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Dark-Highlighting the Importance of Genetically Identifying Mosquito Populations in Subterranean Environments of Central Europe. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10091090. [PMID: 34578123 PMCID: PMC8467396 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10091090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The common house mosquito, Culex pipiens s. l. is part of the morphologically hardly or non-distinguishable Culex pipiens complex. Upcoming molecular methods allowed us to identify members of mosquito populations that are characterized by differences in behavior, physiology, host and habitat preferences and thereof resulting in varying pathogen load and vector potential to deal with. In the last years, urban and surrounding periurban areas were of special interest due to the higher transmission risk of pathogens of medical and veterinary importance. Recently, surveys of underground habitats were performed to fully evaluate the spatial distribution of rare members of the Cx. pipiens complex in Europe. Subterranean environments and their contribution to mosquito-borne pathogen transmission are virtually unknown. Herein, we review the underground community structures of this species complex in Europe, add new data to Germany and provide the first reports of the Cx. pipiens complex and usually rarely found mosquito taxa in underground areas of Luxembourg. Furthermore, we report the first finding of Culiseta glaphyroptera in Luxembourg. Our results highlight the need for molecular specimen identifications to correctly and most comprehensively characterize subterranean mosquito community structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Zittra
- Unit Limnology, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Simon Vitecek
- WasserCluster Lunz—Biologische Station, 3293 Lunz am See, Austria; (S.V.); (B.S.)
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Joana Teixeira
- Zoology Department, Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle de Luxembourg (MNHNL), 2160 Luxembourg, Luxembourg; (J.T.); (D.W.)
| | - Dieter Weber
- Zoology Department, Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle de Luxembourg (MNHNL), 2160 Luxembourg, Luxembourg; (J.T.); (D.W.)
| | | | | | - Alexander M. Weigand
- Zoology Department, Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle de Luxembourg (MNHNL), 2160 Luxembourg, Luxembourg; (J.T.); (D.W.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +352-462-240-212
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11
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Teets NM, Hayward SAL. Editorial on combatting the cold: Comparative physiology of low temperature and related stressors in arthropods. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2021; 260:111037. [PMID: 34274530 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.111037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Teets
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.
| | - Scott A L Hayward
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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