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Javed N, Paradkar PN, Bhatti A. An overview of technologies available to monitor behaviours of mosquitoes. Acta Trop 2024; 258:107347. [PMID: 39103110 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107347] [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: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika, and chikungunya cause significant morbidity and mortality globally, resulting in over 600,000 deaths from malaria and around 36,000 deaths from dengue each year, with millions of people infected annually, leading to substantial economic losses. The existing mosquito control measures, such as long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS), helped to reduce the infections. However, mosquito-borne diseases are still among the deadliest diseases, forcing us to improve the existing control methods and look for alternative methods simultaneously. Advanced monitoring techniques, including remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS) have significantly enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of mosquito control measures. Mosquitoes' behavioural traits, such as locomotion, blood-feeding, and fertility are the key determinants of disease transmission and epidemiology. Technological advancements, such as high-resolution cameras, infrared imaging, and artificial intelligence (AI) driven object detection models, including groundbreaking convolutional neural networks, have provided efficient and precise options to monitor various mosquito behaviours, including locomotion, oviposition, fertility, and host-seeking. However, they are not commonly employed in mosquito-based research. This review highlights the novel and significant advancements in behaviour-monitoring tools, mostly from the last decade, due to cutting-edge video monitoring technology and artificial intelligence. These advancements can offer enhanced accuracy, efficiency, and the ability to quickly process large volumes of data, enabling detailed behavioural analysis over extended periods and large sample sizes, unlike traditional manual methods prone to human error and labour-intensive. The use of behaviour-assaying techniques can support or replace existing monitoring techniques and directly contribute to improving control measures by providing more accurate and real-time data on mosquito activity patterns and responses to interventions. This enhanced understanding can help establish the role of behavioural changes in improving epidemiological models, making them more precise and dynamic. As a result, mosquito management strategies can become more adaptive and responsive, leading to more effective and targeted interventions. Ultimately, this will reduce disease transmission and significantly improve public health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nouman Javed
- Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216 Australia.
| | - Prasad N Paradkar
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, Victoria 3220 Australia
| | - Asim Bhatti
- Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216 Australia
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da Silva Bastos A, Dos Santos NAC, Andrade AO, Pontual JDC, Araújo JE, Medeiros JF, da Silva Araújo M. Evaluation of insemination, blood feeding, and Plasmodium vivax infection effects on locomotor activity patterns of the malaria vector Anopheles darlingi (Diptera: Culicidae). Parasitol Res 2023; 123:15. [PMID: 38060049 PMCID: PMC10703739 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-08053-5] [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: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Circadian behavioral patterns in mosquitoes can be observed through their locomotor activity, which includes fundamental behaviors such as foraging, mating, and oviposition. These habits, which are fundamental to the life cycle of Anopheles mosquitoes, are closely related to pathogen transmission to humans. While rhythmic cycles of locomotor activity have been described in Anopheles species, no studies have been conducted on Anopheles darlingi species, the main malaria vector in the Amazon region. The aim of this study was to investigate how insemination status, blood meal, and Plasmodium vivax infection affect the locomotor activity of An. darlingi. The experiments were performed with 3- to 10-day-old An. darlingi females, which had been fed with 15% honey solution. These mosquitoes were obtained from the Malaria Vector Production and Infection Platform (PIVEM)/FIOCRUZ-RO. The experimental groups were divided into four categories: virgin vs. inseminated, unfed virgin vs. blood-fed virgin, unfed inseminated vs. blood-fed inseminated, and infected blood vs. uninfected blood. Locomotor activity was monitored using the Flybox equipment, capturing images that were subsequently converted into video to measure the insect activity, using PySoLo software. The periodicity and rhythmicity of mosquito locomotor activity were analyzed using MatLab® software. The locomotor activity of An. darlingi females showed a nocturnal and bimodal pattern under LD conditions. When comparing the insemination states and blood meal, there was a reduction in the locomotor activity in inseminated and blood-fed females. However, the P. vivax+ infection did not increase locomotor activity of An. darlingi species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra da Silva Bastos
- Plataforma de Produção E Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM), Laboratório de Entomologia, Fiocruz Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Experimental, Fundação Universidade Federal de Rondônia, FIOCRUZ Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Najara Akira Costa Dos Santos
- Plataforma de Produção E Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM), Laboratório de Entomologia, Fiocruz Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Experimental, Fundação Universidade Federal de Rondônia, FIOCRUZ Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Alice Oliveira Andrade
- Plataforma de Produção E Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM), Laboratório de Entomologia, Fiocruz Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 01246-904, Brazil
| | - José Daniel Costa Pontual
- Plataforma de Produção E Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM), Laboratório de Entomologia, Fiocruz Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Jéssica Evangelista Araújo
- Plataforma de Produção E Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM), Laboratório de Entomologia, Fiocruz Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Experimental, Fundação Universidade Federal de Rondônia, FIOCRUZ Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Jansen Fernandes Medeiros
- Plataforma de Produção E Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM), Laboratório de Entomologia, Fiocruz Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Experimental, Fundação Universidade Federal de Rondônia, FIOCRUZ Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Maisa da Silva Araújo
- Plataforma de Produção E Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM), Laboratório de Entomologia, Fiocruz Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Conservação e uso de Recursos Naturais-PPGReN, Fundação Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil.
- Laboratório de Pesquisa Translacional E Clínica, Centro de Pesquisa Em Medicina Tropical, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil.
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Park D, Bowles J, Norrid K, Dobson FS, Abebe A, Narayanan HV, Prakash M, Blagburn B, Starkey L, Zohdy S. Effect of age on wingbeat frequency of Aedes aegypti and potential application for age estimation of mosquitoes. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:491-498. [PMID: 36872598 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12647] [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: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
To combat mosquito-borne diseases, a variety of vector control tools have been implemented. Estimating age structure in populations of vector species is important for understanding transmission potential. Age-grading techniques have been used as critical methods for evaluating the efficacy of vector control tools. However, methods like mark-release-recapture and ovarian dissection are laborious and require a high level of training. For decades, scientists have discussed the wide array of acoustic signatures of different mosquito species. These distinguishable wingbeat signatures with spatiotemporal classification allow mosquitoes of the same species to locate one another for mating. In recent years, the use of sensitive acoustic devices like mobile phones have proved effective. Wingbeat signatures can be used to identify mosquito species without the challenge of intensive field collections and morphological and molecular identifications. In this study, laboratory Aedes aegypti (L.) female and male wingbeats were recorded using mobile phones to determine whether sex and age differences with chronological time, and across different physiological stages, can be detected. Our results indicate significantly different wingbeat signatures between male and female Ae. aegypti, and a change of wingbeat frequencies with age and reproduction stage in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doyeon Park
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Joy Bowles
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Kate Norrid
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - F Stephen Dobson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Ash Abebe
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Haripriya Vaidehi Narayanan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Manu Prakash
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Byron Blagburn
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Lindsay Starkey
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Sarah Zohdy
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
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Cerri F, Araujo MDS, Aguirre ADAR, Evaristo GPC, Evaristo JAM, Nogueira FCS, de Medeiros JF, Dias QM. Crude saliva of Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto (Acari: Ixodidae) reduces locomotor activity and increases the hemocyte number in the females of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). Exp Parasitol 2023:108570. [PMID: 37330106 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108570] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Aedes aegypti are vector insects of arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. All available vector control methods have limited efficacy, highlighting the urgent need to find alternative ones. Evidence shows that arachnids like ticks are sources of biologically active compounds. Moreover, chemical modulation of the locomotor and immune systems of vector insects can be used to control arbovirus transmission. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of crude saliva of female Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto (s.s.) ticks in reducing locomotor activity and inducing an immune response in Ae. aegypti females. Additionally, the study evaluated the protein constitution of tick saliva. For this purpose, the crude saliva obtained from several semi-engorged A. cajennense females was used. A volume of 0.2 nL of crude tick saliva was administered to mosquitoes by direct intrathoracic microinjection. The effect of the tick's saliva on the locomotor activity of the mosquito was observed using Flybox, a video-automated monitoring system, and the hemolymph hemocyte levels were quantified by reading slides under a light microscope. The protein concentration of the crude tick saliva was 1.27 μg/μL, and its electrophoretic profile indicates the presence of proteins with a molecular weight ranging between ∼17 and 95 kDa. Microplusins, ixodegrins, cystatin, actins, beta-actin, calponin, albumin, alpha-globulins, and hemoglobin were the main proteins identified by proteomics in the saliva of A. cajennense. The microinjected saliva had low toxicity for Ae. aegypti females and significantly reduced their locomotor activity, especially in the transition between the light and dark phases. The crude tick saliva did not change the period and rhythmicity of the circadian cycle. The tick saliva significantly increased the number of hemocytes two days after injection and reduced it after five days. These results suggest that further evaluation of the biological properties of tick saliva proteins against Ae. aegypti would be of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiano Cerri
- Laboratório de Neuro e Imunofarmacologia (NIMFAR) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ Rondônia) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Rondônia - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, (PGBIOEXP), Brazil
| | - Maisa da Silva Araujo
- Laboratório de Entomologia/Plataforma de Produção e Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ Rondônia) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - André de Abreu Rangel Aguirre
- Laboratório de Entomologia/Plataforma de Produção e Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ Rondônia) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | | | - Joseph Albert Medeiros Evaristo
- Laboratório de Proteômica, LADETEC, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fábio César Sousa Nogueira
- Laboratório de Proteômica, LADETEC, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jansen Fernandes de Medeiros
- Universidade Federal de Rondônia - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, (PGBIOEXP), Brazil; Laboratório de Entomologia/Plataforma de Produção e Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ Rondônia) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Quintino Moura Dias
- Laboratório de Neuro e Imunofarmacologia (NIMFAR) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ Rondônia) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Neuroimunomodulação (INCT - NIM), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Rondônia - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, (PGBIOEXP), Brazil.
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Wolkoff M, Fyie L, Meuti M. Light Pollution Disrupts Seasonal Differences in the Daily Activity and Metabolic Profiles of the Northern House Mosquito, Culex pipiens. INSECTS 2023; 14:64. [PMID: 36661993 PMCID: PMC9865375 DOI: 10.3390/insects14010064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The Northern House mosquito, Culex pipiens, is an important disease vector, and females are capable of surviving the winter in a state of overwintering diapause. This species' diapause response has been extensively studied, and recent evidence suggests that the circadian clock is involved in measuring seasonal changes in daylength to initiate the diapause response. However, differences in the circadian activity of diapausing and non-diapausing Cx. pipiens have not been thoroughly investigated. Additionally, recent findings indicate that artificial light at night (ALAN) can disrupt mosquito diapause, potentially prolonging the mosquito biting season. We compared the circadian locomotor activity of mosquitoes reared in diapause-averting, long-day conditions and diapause-inducing, short-day conditions with and without ALAN to elucidate the interplay between circadian activity, diapause, and light pollution. We also uncovered metabolic differences between mosquitoes reared under diapausing and non-diapausing photoperiods with and without ALAN by measuring the concentration of protein, fructose, glycogen, water-soluble carbohydrates, and lipids. We found that ALAN exposure altered several diapause-associated phenotypes including slightly, but not significantly, increasing activity levels in short day-reared mosquitoes; and preventing some short day-reared mosquitoes from accumulating lipids. ALAN also significantly reduced glycogen and water-soluble carbohydrate levels in long day-reared mosquitoes. Based on our findings, light pollution may decrease insect fitness by perturbing metabolism, and may also impact several phenotypes associated with insect diapause, potentially extending the mosquito biting season and preventing insects in urban environments from overwintering successfully.
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Peach DAH, Matthews BJ. The Invasive Mosquitoes of Canada: An Entomological, Medical, and Veterinary Review. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2022; 107:231-244. [PMID: 35895394 PMCID: PMC9393454 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Several invasive mosquitoes have become established in Canada, including important pathogen vectors such as Aedes albopictus, Ae. japonicus, and Culex pipiens. Some species have been present for decades, while others are recent arrivals. Several species present new health concerns and may result in autochthonous seasonal outbreaks of pathogens, particularly in southern Canada, that were previously restricted to imported cases. This review provides an overview of current knowledge of the biological, medical, and veterinary perspectives of these invasive species and highlights the need for increased monitoring efforts and information sharing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. H. Peach
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Ziegler R, Blanckenhorn WU, Mathis A, Verhulst NO. Video analysis of the locomotory behaviour of Aedes aegypti and Ae. japonicus mosquitoes under different temperature regimes in a laboratory setting. J Therm Biol 2022; 105:103205. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Epstein NR, Saez K, Polat A, Davis SR, Aardema ML. The urban-adapted underground mosquito Culex pipiens form molestus maintains exogenously influenceable circadian rhythms. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:268332. [PMID: 34027981 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Genes known to affect circadian rhythms (i.e. 'clock genes') also influence the photoperiodic induction of overwintering reproductive diapause in the northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens f. pipiens. This suggests that molecular changes in one or more clock genes could contribute to the inability to diapause in a second form of this mosquito, Culex pipiens f. molestus. Temperate populations of Cx. pipiens f. molestus inhabit underground locations generally devoid of predictable photoperiods. For this reason, there could be limited fitness consequences if the hypothesized molecular changes to its clock genes also eliminated this mosquito's ability to regulate circadian rhythms in response to photoperiod variation. Here, we demonstrate that in contrast to this prediction, underground derived Cx. pipiens f. molestus retain exogenously influenceable circadian rhythms. Nonetheless, our genetic analyses indicate that the gene Helicase domino (dom) has a nine-nucleotide, in-frame deletion specific to Cx. pipiens f. molestus. Previous work has shown that splice variants in this gene differentially influence circadian behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. We also find derived, non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in eight genes that may also affect circadian rhythms and/or diapause induction in Cx. pipiens f. molestus. Finally, four putative circadian genes were found to have no quantifiable expression during any examined life stage, suggesting potential regulatory effects. Collectively, our findings indicate that the distinct, but molecularly interconnected life-history traits of diapause induction and circadian rhythms are decoupled in Cx. pipiens f. molestus and suggest this taxon may be a valuable tool for exploring exogenously influenced phenotypes in mosquitoes more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie R Epstein
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA
| | - Kevin Saez
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA
| | - Asya Polat
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA
| | - Steven R Davis
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West New York, NY 10024-5102, USA
| | - Matthew L Aardema
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA.,Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics , American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5102, USA
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