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Bauer S, Tielens EK, Haest B. Monitoring aerial insect biodiversity: a radar perspective. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230113. [PMID: 38705181 PMCID: PMC11070259 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0113] [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: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In the current biodiversity crisis, populations of many species have alarmingly declined, and insects are no exception to this general trend. Biodiversity monitoring has become an essential asset to detect biodiversity change but remains patchy and challenging for organisms that are small, inconspicuous or make (nocturnal) long-distance movements. Radars are powerful remote-sensing tools that can provide detailed information on intensity, timing, altitude and spatial scale of aerial movements and might therefore be particularly suited for monitoring aerial insects and their movements. Importantly, they can contribute to several essential biodiversity variables (EBVs) within a harmonized observation system. We review existing research using small-scale biological and weather surveillance radars for insect monitoring and outline how the derived measures and quantities can contribute to the EBVs 'species population', 'species traits', 'community composition' and 'ecosystem function'. Furthermore, we synthesize how ongoing and future methodological, analytical and technological advancements will greatly expand the use of radar for insect biodiversity monitoring and beyond. Owing to their long-term and regional-to-large-scale deployment, radar-based approaches can be a powerful asset in the biodiversity monitoring toolbox whose potential has yet to be fully tapped. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Bauer
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, LU 6204, Switzerland
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
- Department of Environmental System Science, Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Elske K. Tielens
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019-0390, USA
| | - Birgen Haest
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, LU 6204, Switzerland
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Sappington TW. Aseasonal, undirected migration in insects: 'Invisible' but common. iScience 2024; 27:110040. [PMID: 38883831 PMCID: PMC11177203 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Many insect pests are long-distance migrants, moving from lower latitudes where they overwinter to higher latitudes in spring to exploit superabundant, but seasonally ephemeral, host crops. These seasonal long-distance migration events are relatively easy to recognize, and justifiably garner much research attention. Evidence indicates several pest species that overwinter in diapause, and thus inhabit a year-round range, also engage in migratory flight, which is somewhat "invisible" because displacement is nondirectional and terminates among conspecifics. Support for aseasonal, undirected migration is related to recognizing true migratory flight behavior, which differs fundamentally from most other kinds of flight in that it is nonappetitive. Migrating adults are not searching for resources and migratory flight is not arrested by encounters with potential resources. The population-level consequence of aseasonal, undirected migration is spatial mixing of individuals within the larger metapopulation, which has important implications for population dynamics, gene flow, pest management, and insect resistance management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Sappington
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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Hawkes WL, Doyle T, Massy R, Weston ST, Davies K, Cornelius E, Collier C, Chapman JW, Reynolds DR, Wotton KR. The most remarkable migrants-systematic analysis of the Western European insect flyway at a Pyrenean mountain pass. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232831. [PMID: 38864145 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2831] [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: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In autumn 1950 David and Elizabeth Lack chanced upon a huge migration of insects and birds flying through the Pyrenean Pass of Bujaruelo, from France into Spain, later describing the spectacle as combining both grandeur and novelty. The intervening years have seen many changes to land use and climate, posing the question as to the current status of this migratory phenomenon. In addition, a lack of quantitative data has prevented insights into the ecological impact of this mass insect migration and the factors that may influence it. To address this, we revisited the site in autumn over a 4 year period and systematically monitored abundance and species composition of diurnal insect migrants. We estimate an annual mean of 17.1 million day-flying insect migrants from five orders (Diptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera and Odonata) moving south, with observations of southward 'mass migration' events associated with warmer temperatures, the presence of a headwind, sunlight, low windspeed and low rainfall. Diptera dominated the migratory assemblage, and annual numbers varied by more than fourfold. Numbers at this single site hint at the likely billions of insects crossing the entire Pyrenean mountain range each year, and we highlight the importance of this route for seasonal insect migrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will L Hawkes
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, 6204, Switzerland
| | - Toby Doyle
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Richard Massy
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Scarlett T Weston
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Kelsey Davies
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Elliott Cornelius
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Connor Collier
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Jason W Chapman
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People's Republic of China
| | - Don R Reynolds
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent SE10 9LS, UK
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Karl R Wotton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
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Nartey R, Chamorro L, Buffington M, Afrane YA, Mohammed AR, Owusu-Asenso CM, Akosah-Brempong G, Pambit Zong CMA, Hendrix SV, Dao A, Yaro AS, Diallo M, Sanogo ZL, Djibril S, Halbert SE, Bamou R, Nance CE, Bartlett CR, Reynolds DR, Chapman JW, Obiri-Danso K, Lehmann T. Invasion and spread of the neotropical leafhopper Curtara insularis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in Africa and North America and the role of high-altitude windborne migration in invasive insects. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.24.595796. [PMID: 38854158 PMCID: PMC11160610 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.24.595796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Invasive insects threaten ecosystem stability, public health, and food security. Documenting newly invasive species and understanding how they reach into new territories, establish populations, and interact with other species remain vitally important. Here, we report on the invasion of the South American leafhopper, Curtara insularis into Africa, where it has established populations in Ghana, encroaching inland at least 350 km off the coast. Importantly, 80% of the specimens collected were intercepted between 160 and 190 m above ground. Further, the fraction of this species among all insects collected was also higher at altitude, demonstrating its propensity to engage in high-altitude windborne dispersal. Its aerial densities at altitude translate into millions of migrants/km over a year, representing massive propagule pressure. Given the predominant south-westerly winds, these sightings suggest an introduction of C. insularis into at least one of the Gulf of Guinea ports. To assess the contribution of windborne dispersal to its spread in a new territory, we examine records of C. insularis range-expansion in the USA. Reported first in 2004 from central Florida, it reached north Florida (Panhandle) by 2008-2011 and subsequently spread across the southeastern and south-central US. Its expansion fits a "diffusion-like" process with 200-300 km long "annual displacement steps"-a pattern consistent with autonomous dispersal rather than vehicular transport. Most "steps" are consistent with common wind trajectories from the nearest documented population, assuming 2-8 hours of wind-assisted flight at altitude. Curtara insularis has been intercepted at US ports and on trucks. Thus, it uses multiple dispersal modalities, yet its rapid overland spread is better explained by its massive propagule pressure linked with its high-altitude windborne dispersal. We propose that high-altitude windborne dispersal is common yet under-appreciated in invasive insect species.
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Huang J, Feng H, Drake VA, Reynolds DR, Gao B, Chen F, Zhang G, Zhu J, Gao Y, Zhai B, Li G, Tian C, Huang B, Hu G, Chapman JW. Massive seasonal high-altitude migrations of nocturnal insects above the agricultural plains of East China. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317646121. [PMID: 38648486 PMCID: PMC11067063 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317646121] [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: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-distance migrations of insects contribute to ecosystem functioning but also have important economic impacts when the migrants are pests or provide ecosystem services. We combined radar monitoring, aerial sampling, and searchlight trapping, to quantify the annual pattern of nocturnal insect migration above the densely populated agricultural lands of East China. A total of ~9.3 trillion nocturnal insect migrants (15,000 t of biomass), predominantly Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, and Diptera, including many crop pests and disease vectors, fly at heights up to 1 km above this 600 km-wide region every year. Larger migrants (>10 mg) exhibited seasonal reversal of movement directions, comprising northward expansion during spring and summer, followed by southward movements during fall. This north-south transfer was not balanced, however, with southward movement in fall 0.66× that of northward movement in spring and summer. Spring and summer migrations were strongest when the wind had a northward component, while in fall, stronger movements occurred on winds that allowed movement with a southward component; heading directions of larger insects were generally close to the track direction. These findings indicate adaptations leading to movement in seasonally favorable directions. We compare our results from China with similar studies in Europe and North America and conclude that ecological patterns and behavioral adaptations are similar across the Northern Hemisphere. The predominance of pests among these nocturnal migrants has severe implications for food security and grower prosperity throughout this heavily populated region, and knowledge of their migrations is potentially valuable for forecasting pest impacts and planning timely management actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianrong Huang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control, Key Laboratory for Integrated Crop Pests Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, International Joint Research Laboratory for Crop Protection of Henan, No. 0 Entomological Radar Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of Henan Province, Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan450002, China
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, and Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, CornwallTR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Hongqiang Feng
- Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control, Key Laboratory for Integrated Crop Pests Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, International Joint Research Laboratory for Crop Protection of Henan, No. 0 Entomological Radar Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of Henan Province, Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan450002, China
| | - V. Alistair Drake
- School of Science, UNSW Canberra, The University of New South Wales, Canberra, ACT2610, Australia
- Institute for Applied Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT2617, Australia
| | - Don R. Reynolds
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, KentME4 4 TB, United Kingdom
- Department of Computational and Analytical Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, HertsAL5 2JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Boya Gao
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu210095, China
| | - Fajun Chen
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu210095, China
| | - Guoyan Zhang
- Plant Protection and Quarantine Station of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan450002, China
| | - Junsheng Zhu
- Shandong Agricultural Technology Extension Center, Jinan, Shandong250100, China
| | - Yuebo Gao
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu210095, China
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongzhuling, Jilin136100, China
| | - Baoping Zhai
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu210095, China
| | - Guoping Li
- Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control, Key Laboratory for Integrated Crop Pests Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, International Joint Research Laboratory for Crop Protection of Henan, No. 0 Entomological Radar Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of Henan Province, Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan450002, China
| | - Caihong Tian
- Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control, Key Laboratory for Integrated Crop Pests Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, International Joint Research Laboratory for Crop Protection of Henan, No. 0 Entomological Radar Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of Henan Province, Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan450002, China
| | - Bo Huang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control, Key Laboratory for Integrated Crop Pests Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, International Joint Research Laboratory for Crop Protection of Henan, No. 0 Entomological Radar Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of Henan Province, Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan450002, China
| | - Gao Hu
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu210095, China
| | - Jason W. Chapman
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, and Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, CornwallTR10 9FE, United Kingdom
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu210095, China
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Sappington TW, Spencer JL. Movement Ecology of Adult Western Corn Rootworm: Implications for Management. INSECTS 2023; 14:922. [PMID: 38132596 PMCID: PMC10744206 DOI: 10.3390/insects14120922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Movement of adult western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is of fundamental importance to this species' population dynamics, ecology, evolution, and interactions with its environment, including cultivated cornfields. Realistic parameterization of dispersal components of models is needed to predict rates of range expansion, development, and spread of resistance to control measures and improve pest and resistance management strategies. However, a coherent understanding of western corn rootworm movement ecology has remained elusive because of conflicting evidence for both short- and long-distance lifetime dispersal, a type of dilemma observed in many species called Reid's paradox. Attempts to resolve this paradox using population genetic strategies to estimate rates of gene flow over space likewise imply greater dispersal distances than direct observations of short-range movement suggest, a dilemma called Slatkin's paradox. Based on the wide-array of available evidence, we present a conceptual model of adult western corn rootworm movement ecology under the premise it is a partially migratory species. We propose that rootworm populations consist of two behavioral phenotypes, resident and migrant. Both engage in local, appetitive flights, but only the migrant phenotype also makes non-appetitive migratory flights, resulting in observed patterns of bimodal dispersal distances and resolution of Reid's and Slatkin's paradoxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. Sappington
- Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Joseph L. Spencer
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
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Lehmann T, Kouam C, Woo J, Diallo M, Wilkerson R, Linton YM. The African mosquito-borne diseasosome: geographical patterns, range expansion and future disease emergence. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231581. [PMID: 38018102 PMCID: PMC10685135 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1581] [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: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) threaten public health and food security globally. We provide the first biogeographic description of the African mosquito fauna (677 species) and the 151 mosquito-borne pathogens (MBPs) they transmit. While mosquito species richness agrees with expectations based on Africa's land surface, African arboviruses and mammalian plasmodia are more speciose than expected. Species assemblages of mosquitoes and MBPs similarly separate sub-Saharan Africa from North Africa, and those in West and Central Africa from eastern and southern Africa. Similarities between mosquitoes and MBPs in diversity and range size suggest that mosquitoes are key in delimiting the range of MBPs. With approximately 25% endemicity, approximately 50% occupying one to three countries and less than 5% occupying greater than 25 countries, the ranges of mosquitoes and MBPs are surprisingly small, suggesting that most MBPs are transmitted by a single mosquito species. Exceptionally widespread mosquito species feed on people and livestock, and most are high-altitude-windborne migrants. Likewise, widespread MBPs are transmitted among people or livestock by widespread mosquitoes, suggesting that adapting to people or livestock and to widespread mosquito species promote range expansion in MBPs. Range size may predict range expansion and emergence risk. We highlight key knowledge gaps that impede prediction and mitigation of future emergence of local and global MBDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tovi Lehmann
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Cedric Kouam
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Joshua Woo
- Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mawlouth Diallo
- Pôle de Zoologie Médicale, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Richard Wilkerson
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (WRBU), Smithsonian Institution Museum Support Center, Suitland, MD, USA
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution–National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Yvonne-Marie Linton
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (WRBU), Smithsonian Institution Museum Support Center, Suitland, MD, USA
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution–National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
- One Health Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), Silver Spring, MD, USA
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Atieli HE, Zhou G, Zhong D, Wang X, Lee MC, Yaro AS, Diallo M, Githure J, Kazura J, Lehmann T, Yan G. Wind-assisted high-altitude dispersal of mosquitoes and other insects in East Africa. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 60:698-707. [PMID: 37094808 PMCID: PMC10337859 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjad033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge of insect dispersal is relevant to the control of agricultural pests, vector-borne transmission of human and veterinary pathogens, and insect biodiversity. Previous studies in a malaria endemic area of the Sahel region in West Africa revealed high-altitude, long-distance migration of insects and various mosquito species. The objective of the current study was to assess whether similar behavior is exhibited by mosquitoes and other insects around the Lake Victoria basin region of Kenya in East Africa. Insects were sampled monthly from dusk to dawn over 1 year using sticky nets suspended on a tethered helium-filled balloon. A total of 17,883 insects were caught on nets tethered at 90, 120, and 160 m above ground level; 818 insects were caught in control nets. Small insects (<0.5 cm, n = 15,250) were predominant regardless of height compared with large insects (>0.5 cm, n = 2,334) and mosquitoes (n = 299). Seven orders were identified; dipteran was the most common. Barcoding molecular assays of 184 mosquitoes identified 7 genera, with Culex being the most common (65.8%) and Anopheles being the least common (5.4%). The survival rate of mosquitoes, experimentally exposed to high-altitude overnight, was significantly lower than controls maintained in the laboratory (19% vs. 85%). There were no significant differences in mosquito survival and oviposition rate according to capture height. These data suggest that windborne dispersal activity of mosquito vectors of malaria and other diseases occurs on a broad scale in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrysone E Atieli
- Sub-Saharan International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research, Tom Mboya University, Homa Bay, Kenya
| | - Guofa Zhou
- Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Daibin Zhong
- Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoming Wang
- Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Ming-chieh Lee
- Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Alpha S Yaro
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC)/Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-Stomatology, Bamako, Mali
| | - Moussa Diallo
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC)/Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-Stomatology, Bamako, Mali
| | - John Githure
- Sub-Saharan International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research, Tom Mboya University, Homa Bay, Kenya
| | - James Kazura
- Center for Global Health and Diseases, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Tovi Lehmann
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Guiyun Yan
- Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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Homberg U, Pfeiffer K. Unraveling the neural basis of spatial orientation in arthropods. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023:10.1007/s00359-023-01635-9. [PMID: 37198448 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-023-01635-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The neural basis underlying spatial orientation in arthropods, in particular insects, has received considerable interest in recent years. This special issue of the Journal of Comparative Physiology A seeks to take account of these developments by presenting a collection of eight review articles and eight original research articles highlighting hotspots of research on spatial orientation in arthropods ranging from flies to spiders and the underlying neural circuits. The contributions impressively illustrate the wide range of tools available to arthropods extending from specific sensory channels to highly sophisticated neural computations for mastering complex navigational challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Homberg
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps University Marburg, 35032, Marburg, Germany.
- Center for Mind Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-University Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35032, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Keram Pfeiffer
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
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Li T, Yang G, Li Q, Jiang Y, Kang D, Fan Z, Gong Z, Lu R, Zhou G, Wu Y, Lu C. Population dynamics of migrant wheat aphids in China's main wheat production region and their interactions with bacterial symbionts. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1103236. [PMID: 36844098 PMCID: PMC9947703 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1103236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Sitobion miscanthi, Rhopalosiphum padi, and Schizaphis graminum are the three main pests in Chinese wheat-producing regions. In 2020, they are classified into the Chinese Class I list of agricultural diseases and pests, due to their severe harm to wheat plantings. S. miscanthi, R. padi, and S. graminum are migrant pests, and understanding their migration patterns and simulating their migration trajectories would improve forecasting and controlling them. Furthermore, the bacterial community of the migrant wheat aphid is also less known. In this study, we employed a suction trap to uncover the migration patterns of the three wheat aphid species in Yuanyang county, Henan province, during 2018 to 2020. And then the migration trajectories of S. miscanthi and R. padi were simulated using the NOAA HYSPLIT model. The interactions between wheat aphids and bacteria were further revealed by specific PCR and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The results showed that the population dynamics of migrant wheat aphids was varied. Most of the trapped samples were identified to be R. padi, and S. graminum was the least collected sample. Typically, R. padi had two migration peaks in the 3 years, whereas S. miscanthi and S. graminum only exhibited one migration peak in 2018 and 2019. Moreover, the aphid migration trajectories varied over the years. Generally, the aphids originated from the south and migrated to the north. Herein, the infections of three main aphid facultative bacterial symbionts, Serratia symbiotica, Hamiltonella defensa, and Regiella insercticola, were detected in S. miscanthi and R. padi with specific PCR. Rickettsiella, Arsenophonus, Rickettsia, and Wolbachia were further identified with 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Biomarker searching indicated that Arsenophonus was significantly enriched in R. padi. Furthermore, diversity analyses showed that the bacterial community of R. padi had a higher richness and evenness than that of S. miscanthi. In conclusion, this study expands our knowledge about the migration patterns of aphids in the main wheat plant region of China and reveals the interactions between bacterial symbionts and migrant aphids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Li
- Institute of Plant Protection/Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Gongqiang Yang
- Institute of Plant Protection/Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qian Li
- College of Bioscience and Resource Environment/Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, China
| | - Yueli Jiang
- Institute of Plant Protection/Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Dongmei Kang
- Institute of Plant Protection/Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhiye Fan
- Institute of Plant Protection, Luohe Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Luohe, China
| | - Zhongjun Gong
- Institute of Plant Protection/Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ruijie Lu
- Institute of Plant Protection/Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guotao Zhou
- Henan Yunfei Technology Development Co., Ltd, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yuqing Wu
- Institute of Plant Protection/Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chuantao Lu
- Institute of Plant Protection/Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control/Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southern Region of North China, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
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11
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Faiman R, Yaro AS, Dao A, Sanogo ZL, Diallo M, Samake D, Yossi O, Veru LM, Graber LC, Conte AR, Kouam C, Krajacich BJ, Lehmann T. Isotopic evidence that aestivation allows malaria mosquitoes to persist through the dry season in the Sahel. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1687-1699. [PMID: 36216903 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01886-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Data suggest that the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles coluzzii persists during the dry season in the Sahel through a dormancy mechanism known as aestivation; however, the contribution of aestivation compared with alternative strategies such as migration is unknown. Here we marked larval Anopheles mosquitoes in two Sahelian villages in Mali using deuterium (2H) to assess the contribution of aestivation to persistence of mosquitoes through the seven-month dry season. After an initial enrichment period, 33% of An. coluzzii mosquitoes were strongly marked. Seven months following enrichment, multiple analysis methods supported the ongoing presence of marked mosquitoes, compatible with the prediction that the fraction of marked mosquitoes should remain stable throughout the dry season if local aestivation is occurring. The results suggest that aestivation is a major persistence mechanism of An. coluzzii in the Sahel, contributing at least 20% of the adults at the onset of rains. This persistence strategy could influence mosquito control and malaria elimination campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Faiman
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA.
| | - Alpha S Yaro
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC)/Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Adama Dao
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC)/Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Zana L Sanogo
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC)/Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Moussa Diallo
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC)/Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Djibril Samake
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC)/Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Ousmane Yossi
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC)/Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Laura M Veru
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Leland C Graber
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Abigail R Conte
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Cedric Kouam
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Tovi Lehmann
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
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12
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Yaro AS, Linton YM, Dao A, Diallo M, Sanogo ZL, Samake D, Ousmane Y, Kouam C, Krajacich BJ, Faiman R, Bamou R, Woo J, Chapman JW, Reynolds DR, Lehmann T. Diversity, composition, altitude, and seasonality of high-altitude windborne migrating mosquitoes in the Sahel: Implications for disease transmission. FRONTIERS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY 2022; 2:1001782. [PMID: 38455321 PMCID: PMC10910920 DOI: 10.3389/fepid.2022.1001782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Recent studies have reported Anopheles mosquitoes captured at high-altitude (40-290 m above ground) in the Sahel. Here, we describe this migration modality across genera and species of African Culicidae and examine its implications for disease transmission and control. As well as Anopheles, six other genera-Culex, Aedes, Mansonia, Mimomyia, Lutzia, and Eretmapodites comprised 90% of the 2,340 mosquitoes captured at altitude. Of the 50 molecularly confirmed species (N = 2,107), 33 species represented by multiple specimens were conservatively considered high-altitude windborne migrants, suggesting it is a common migration modality in mosquitoes (31-47% of the known species in Mali), and especially in Culex (45-59%). Overall species abundance varied between 2 and 710 specimens/species (in Ae. vittatus and Cx. perexiguus, respectively). At altitude, females outnumbered males 6:1, and 93% of the females have taken at least one blood meal on a vertebrate host prior to their departure. Most taxa were more common at higher sampling altitudes, indicating that total abundance and diversity are underestimated. High-altitude flight activity was concentrated between June and November coinciding with availability of surface waters and peak disease transmission by mosquitoes. These hallmarks of windborne mosquito migration bolster their role as carriers of mosquito-borne pathogens (MBPs). Screening 921 mosquitoes using pan-Plasmodium assays revealed that thoracic infection rate in these high-altitude migrants was 2.4%, providing a proof of concept that vertebrate pathogens are transported by windborne mosquitoes at altitude. Fourteen of the 33 windborne mosquito species had been reported as vectors to 25 MBPs in West Africa, which represent 32% of the MBPs known in that region and include those that inflict the heaviest burden on human and animal health, such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, and Rift Valley fever. We highlight five arboviruses that are most likely affected by windborne mosquitoes in West Africa: Rift Valley fever, O'nyong'nyong, Ngari, Pangola, and Ndumu. We conclude that the study of windborne spread of diseases by migrating insects and the development of surveillance to map the sources, routes, and destinations of vectors and pathogens is key to understand, predict, and mitigate existing and new threats of public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alpha Seydou Yaro
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-Stomatology, Bamako, Mali
| | - Yvonne-Marie Linton
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Smithsonian Institution Museum Support Center, Suitland, MD, United States
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States
- One Health Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Adama Dao
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-Stomatology, Bamako, Mali
| | - Moussa Diallo
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-Stomatology, Bamako, Mali
| | - Zana L. Sanogo
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-Stomatology, Bamako, Mali
| | - Djibril Samake
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-Stomatology, Bamako, Mali
| | - Yossi Ousmane
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-Stomatology, Bamako, Mali
| | - Cedric Kouam
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, United States
| | | | - Roy Faiman
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Roland Bamou
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Joshua Woo
- Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jason W. Chapman
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, and Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Don R. Reynolds
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, United Kingdom
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, United Kingdom
| | - Tovi Lehmann
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD, United States
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13
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Hawkes WL, Weston ST, Cook H, Doyle T, Massy R, Guri EJ, Wotton Jimenez RE, Wotton KR. Migratory hoverflies orientate north during spring migration. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220318. [PMID: 36196552 PMCID: PMC9533008 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory hoverflies are long-range migrants that, in the Northern Hemisphere, move seasonally to higher latitudes in the spring and lower latitudes in the autumn. The preferred migratory direction of hoverflies in the autumn has been the subject of radar and flight simulator studies, while spring migration has proved to be more difficult to characterize owing to a lack of ground observations. Consequently, the preferred migratory direction during spring has only been inferred from entomological radar studies and patterns of local abundance, and currently lacks ground confirmation. Here, during a springtime arrival of migratory insects onto the Isles of Scilly and mainland Cornwall, UK, we provide ground proof that spring hoverfly migrants have an innate northward preference. Captured migratory hoverflies displayed northward vanishing bearings when released under sunny conditions under both favourable wind and zero-wind conditions. In addition, and unlike autumn migrants, spring individuals were also able to orientate when the sun was obscured. Analysis of winds suggests an origin for insects arriving on the Isles of Scilly as being in western France. These findings of spring migration routes and preferred migration directions are likely to extend to the diverse set of insects found within the western European migratory assemblage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will L. Hawkes
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Scarlett T. Weston
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Holly Cook
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Toby Doyle
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Richard Massy
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Eva Jimenez Guri
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Rex E. Wotton Jimenez
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Karl R. Wotton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
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14
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Sedda L, McCann RS, Kabaghe AN, Gowelo S, Mburu MM, Tizifa TA, Chipeta MG, van den Berg H, Takken W, van Vugt M, Phiri KS, Cain R, Tangena JAA, Jones CM. Hotspots and super-spreaders: Modelling fine-scale malaria parasite transmission using mosquito flight behaviour. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010622. [PMID: 35793345 PMCID: PMC9292116 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria hotspots have been the focus of public health managers for several years due to the potential elimination gains that can be obtained from targeting them. The identification of hotspots must be accompanied by the description of the overall network of stable and unstable hotspots of malaria, especially in medium and low transmission settings where malaria elimination is targeted. Targeting hotspots with malaria control interventions has, so far, not produced expected benefits. In this work we have employed a mechanistic-stochastic algorithm to identify clusters of super-spreader houses and their related stable hotspots by accounting for mosquito flight capabilities and the spatial configuration of malaria infections at the house level. Our results show that the number of super-spreading houses and hotspots is dependent on the spatial configuration of the villages. In addition, super-spreaders are also associated to house characteristics such as livestock and family composition. We found that most of the transmission is associated with winds between 6pm and 10pm although later hours are also important. Mixed mosquito flight (downwind and upwind both with random components) were the most likely movements causing the spread of malaria in two out of the three study areas. Finally, our algorithm (named MALSWOTS) provided an estimate of the speed of malaria infection progression from house to house which was around 200-400 meters per day, a figure coherent with mark-release-recapture studies of Anopheles dispersion. Cross validation using an out-of-sample procedure showed accurate identification of hotspots. Our findings provide a significant contribution towards the identification and development of optimal tools for efficient and effective spatio-temporal targeted malaria interventions over potential hotspot areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Sedda
- Lancaster Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, United Kingdom
| | - Robert S. McCann
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Alinune N. Kabaghe
- School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Steven Gowelo
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
- MAC Communicable Diseases Action Centre, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Monicah M. Mburu
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Tinashe A. Tizifa
- School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
- Center for Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michael G. Chipeta
- School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Henk van den Berg
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Willem Takken
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michèle van Vugt
- Center for Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kamija S. Phiri
- School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Russell Cain
- Lancaster Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, United Kingdom
| | - Julie-Anne A. Tangena
- Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher M. Jones
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
- Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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15
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Beeton NJ, Wilkins A, Ickowicz A, Hayes KR, Hosack GR. Spatial modelling for population replacement of mosquito vectors at continental scale. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009526. [PMID: 35648783 PMCID: PMC9191746 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is one of the deadliest vector-borne diseases in the world. Researchers are developing new genetic and conventional vector control strategies to attempt to limit its burden. Novel control strategies require detailed safety assessment to ensure responsible and successful deployments. Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (s.s.) and Anopheles coluzzii, two closely related subspecies within the species complex Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.), are among the dominant malaria vectors in sub-Saharan Africa. These two subspecies readily hybridise and compete in the wild and are also known to have distinct niches, each with spatially and temporally varying carrying capacities driven by precipitation and land use factors. We model the spread and persistence of a population-modifying gene drive system in these subspecies across sub-Saharan Africa by simulating introductions of genetically modified mosquitoes across the African mainland and its offshore islands. We explore transmission of the gene drive between the two subspecies that arise from different hybridisation mechanisms, the effects of both local dispersal and potential wind-aided migration to the spread, and the development of resistance to the gene drive. Given the best current available knowledge on the subspecies’ life histories, we find that an introduced gene drive system with typical characteristics can plausibly spread from even distant offshore islands to the African mainland with the aid of wind-driven migration, with resistance beginning to take over within a decade. Our model accounts for regional to continental scale mechanisms, and demonstrates a range of realistic dynamics including the effect of prevailing wind on spread and spatio-temporally varying carrying capacities for subspecies. As a result, it is well-placed to answer future questions relating to mosquito gene drives as important life history parameters become better understood. Conventional control methods have dramatically reduced malaria, but it still kills over 300,000 children in Africa each year, and this number could increase as their effectiveness wanes. Novel control methods using gene drives rapidly reduce or modify malaria vector populations in laboratory settings, and hence are now being considered for field applications. We use modelling to assess how a gene drive might spread and persist in the malaria-carrying subspecies Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (s.s.) and Anopheles coluzzii. These two subspecies interbreed and compete, so we model how these interactions affect the spread of the drive at a continental scale. In scenarios that allow mosquitoes to travel on prevailing wind currents, we find that a gene drive can potentially spread across national borders—and jump from offshore islands to the African mainland—but spread is eventually arrested when the drive allele is ousted by a resistant allele. As we learn more about the population dynamics of both genetically modified and wild mosquitoes, and as gene drive systems are further developed to allow local containment and evade resistance, our model will be able to answer more detailed questions about how they can be applied in the field effectively and safely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Beeton
- Data61, CSIRO, 3 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point TAS, Australia
- * E-mail: (NJB); (AW)
| | - Andrew Wilkins
- Mineral Resources, CSIRO, 1 Technology Court, Pullenvale QLD, Australia
- * E-mail: (NJB); (AW)
| | - Adrien Ickowicz
- Data61, CSIRO, 3 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point TAS, Australia
| | - Keith R. Hayes
- Data61, CSIRO, 3 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point TAS, Australia
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16
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Kearsley L, Ranc N, Meier CM, Pacheco CM, Henriques P, Elias G, Poot M, Williams A, Costa LT, Helsen P, Hufkens K. The aeroecology of atmospheric convergence zones: the case of pallid swifts. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lyndon Kearsley
- Belgian Ornithological Research Association Temse Belgium
- BlueGreen Labs Melsele Belgium
| | - Nathan Ranc
- Univ. de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS Castanet‐Tolosan France
| | | | - Carlos Miguel Pacheco
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Univ. do Porto Vairão Portugal
| | | | | | - Martin Poot
- Martin Poot Ecology Culemborg the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Philippe Helsen
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium
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17
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Hedlund JSU, Lv H, Lehmann P, Hu G, Anderson RC, Chapman JW. Unraveling the World’s Longest Non-stop Migration: The Indian Ocean Crossing of the Globe Skimmer Dragonfly. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.698128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect migration redistributes enormous quantities of biomass, nutrients and species globally. A subset of insect migrants perform extreme long-distance journeys, requiring specialized morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations. The migratory globe skimmer dragonfly (Pantala flavescens) is hypothesized to migrate from India across the Indian Ocean to East Africa in the autumn, with a subsequent generation thought to return to India from East Africa the following spring. Using an energetic flight model and wind trajectory analysis, we evaluate the dynamics of this proposed transoceanic migration, which is considered to be the longest regular non-stop migratory flight when accounting for body size. The energetic flight model suggests that a mixed strategy of gliding and active flapping would allow a globe skimmer to stay airborne for up to 230–286 h, assuming that the metabolic rate of gliding flight is close to that of resting. If engaged in continuous active flapping flight only, the flight time is severely reduced to ∼4 h. Relying only on self-powered flight (combining active flapping and gliding), a globe skimmer could cross the Indian Ocean, but the migration would have to occur where the ocean crossing is shortest, at an exceptionally fast gliding speed and with little headwind. Consequently, we deem this scenario unlikely and suggest that wind assistance is essential for the crossing. The wind trajectory analysis reveals intra- and inter-seasonal differences in availability of favorable tailwinds, with only 15.2% of simulated migration trajectories successfully reaching land in autumn but 40.9% in spring, taking on average 127 and 55 h respectively. Thus, there is a pronounced requirement on dragonflies to be able to select favorable winds, especially in autumn. In conclusion, a multi-generational, migratory circuit of the Indian Ocean by the globe skimmer is shown to be achievable, provided that advanced adaptations in physiological endurance, behavior and wind selection ability are present. Given that migration over the Indian Ocean would be heavily dependent on the assistance of favorable winds, occurring during a relatively narrow time window, the proposed flyway is potentially susceptible to disruption, if wind system patterns were to be affected by climatic change.
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18
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Environmental drivers of annual population fluctuations in a trans-Saharan insect migrant. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2102762118. [PMID: 34155114 PMCID: PMC8256005 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2102762118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The painted lady butterfly is an annual migrant to northern regions, but the size of the immigration varies by more than 100-fold in successive years. Unlike the monarch, the painted lady breeds year round, and it has long been suspected that plant-growing conditions in winter-breeding locations drive this high annual variability. However, the regions where caterpillars develop over winter remained unclear. Here, we show for the European summer population that winter plant greenness in the savanna of sub-Saharan Africa is the key driver of the size of the spring immigration. Our results show that painted ladies regularly cross the Sahara Desert and elucidate the climatic drivers of the annual population dynamics. Many latitudinal insect migrants including agricultural pests, disease vectors, and beneficial species show huge fluctuations in the year-to-year abundance of spring immigrants reaching temperate zones. It is widely believed that this variation is driven by climatic conditions in the winter-breeding regions, but evidence is lacking. We identified the environmental drivers of the annual population dynamics of a cosmopolitan migrant butterfly (the painted lady Vanessa cardui) using a combination of long-term monitoring and climate and atmospheric data within the western part of its Afro-Palearctic migratory range. Our population models show that a combination of high winter NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) in the Savanna/Sahel of sub-Saharan Africa, high spring NDVI in the Maghreb of North Africa, and frequent favorably directed tailwinds during migration periods are the three most important drivers of the size of the immigration to western Europe, while our atmospheric trajectory simulations demonstrate regular opportunities for wind-borne trans-Saharan movements. The effects of sub-Saharan vegetative productivity and wind conditions confirm that painted lady populations on either side of the Sahara are linked by regular mass migrations, making this the longest annual insect migration circuit so far known. Our results provide a quantification of the environmental drivers of large annual population fluctuations of an insect migrant and hold much promise for predicting invasions of migrant insect pests, disease vectors, and beneficial species.
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19
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Gao B, Hedlund J, Reynolds DR, Zhai B, Hu G, Chapman JW. The 'migratory connectivity' concept, and its applicability to insect migrants. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2020; 8:48. [PMID: 33292576 PMCID: PMC7718659 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-00235-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Migratory connectivity describes the degree of linkage between different parts of an animal's migratory range due to the movement trajectories of individuals. High connectivity occurs when individuals from one particular part of the migratory range move almost exclusively to another localized part of the migratory range with little mixing with individuals from other regions. Conversely, low migratory connectivity describes the situation where individuals spread over a wide area during migration and experience a large degree of mixing with individuals from elsewhere. The migratory connectivity concept is frequently applied to vertebrate migrants (especially birds), and it is highly relevant to conservation and management of populations. However, it is rarely employed in the insect migration literature, largely because much less is known about the migration circuits of most migratory insects than is known about birds. In this review, we discuss the applicability of the migratory connectivity concept to long-range insect migrations. In contrast to birds, insect migration circuits typically comprise multigenerational movements of geographically unstructured (non-discrete) populations between broad latitudinal zones. Also, compared to the faster-flying birds, the lower degree of control over movement directions would also tend to reduce connectivity in many insect migrants. Nonetheless, after taking account of these differences, we argue that the migratory connectivity framework can still be applied to insects, and we go on to consider postulated levels of connectivity in some of the most intensively studied insect migrants. We conclude that a greater understanding of insect migratory connectivity would be of value for conserving threatened species and managing pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boya Gao
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK.
| | - Johanna Hedlund
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
- Lund University, Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Ecology Building, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Don R Reynolds
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, UK
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Baoping Zhai
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Gao Hu
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jason W Chapman
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK.
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK.
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