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Megía-Palma R, Palomar G, Martínez J, Antunes B, Dudek K, Žagar A, Serén N, Carretero MA, Babik W, Merino S. Lizard host abundances and climatic factors explain phylogenetic diversity and prevalence of blood parasites on an oceanic island. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17276. [PMID: 38243603 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17276] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Host abundance might favour the maintenance of a high phylogenetic diversity of some parasites via rapid transmission rates. Blood parasites of insular lizards represent a good model to test this hypothesis because these parasites can be particularly prevalent in islands and host lizards highly abundant. We applied deep amplicon sequencing and analysed environmental predictors of blood parasite prevalence and phylogenetic diversity in the endemic lizard Gallotia galloti across 24 localities on Tenerife, an island in the Canary archipelago that has experienced increasing warming and drought in recent years. Parasite prevalence assessed by microscopy was over 94%, and a higher proportion of infected lizards was found in warmer and drier locations. A total of 33 different 18s rRNA parasite haplotypes were identified, and the phylogenetic analyses indicated that they belong to two genera of Adeleorina (Apicomplexa: Coccidia), with Karyolysus as the dominant genus. The most important predictor of between-locality variation in parasite phylogenetic diversity was the abundance of lizard hosts. We conclude that a combination of climatic and host demographic factors associated with an insular syndrome may be favouring a rapid transmission of blood parasites among lizards on Tenerife, which may favour the maintenance of a high phylogenetic diversity of parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Megía-Palma
- Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Parasitology Unit, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Gemma Palomar
- Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Parasitology Unit, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Martínez
- Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Parasitology Unit, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Bernardo Antunes
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Dudek
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Anamarija Žagar
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- NIB, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nina Serén
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Miguel A Carretero
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Wiesław Babik
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Santiago Merino
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Beckermann AJ, Medley KA, Adalsteinsson SA, Westby KM. The final countdown: presence of an invasive mosquito extends time to predation for a native mosquito. Biol Invasions 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-023-03051-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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3
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Stanicka A, Szopieray K, Migdalski Ł, Kobak J. Friends or enemies: Multi-species interactions among biofoulers, endoparasites and their gastropod hosts. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:503-513. [PMID: 36519974 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13872] [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: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Parasites are a crucial factor that shapes the functioning of communities throughout the world, as are gregarious macrofoulers in aquatic ecosystems. However, little is known about the effects of three-way interactions between macrofoulers, endoparasites and their hosts. We predict that macrofouling and parasite infection may act (i) independently of each other, (ii) synergistically, increasing their final negative impact on the host or (iii) antagonistically, the former weakening the negative impact of the latter. We investigated multiway relationships between an invasive freshwater filter-feeding macrofouler (the zebra mussel), digenean endoparasite and their gastropod host, Viviparus viviparus. Furthermore, we checked the recruitment of mussels in living gastropods versus their empty shells. We sampled living V. viviparus and their empty shells with attached dreissenids from a Polish dam reservoir. We counted and weighed attached mussels and determined wet weight, shell height and sex of gastropods. Then we dissected the molluscs to look for digenean larvae and gastropod embryos. We use these parameters to look for reciprocal associations between mussel fouling, parasitic infection and gastropod size and fertility, as well as to infer the most likely mechanisms of the observed relationships. Dreissenid overgrowth was associated with reduced fertility and size of viviparids, but also with a lower prevalence of digenean metacercariae (Leucochloridiomorpha sp.). We did not observe a negative influence of these digeneans on their gastropod hosts. In addition, large living viviparids and their empty shells were equally used as substrates by dreissenids, but small living gastropods were more fouled than shells of the corresponding size. A trade-off exists in the studied system: filter-feeding macrofoulers may bring some profits for their host, reducing the pressure of waterborne parasites (which may be crucial in the case of pathogenic species/life stages), although at the cost of the reduced growth and fertility of the host. Furthermore, mussels attached to mollusc hosts can exert a cascading effect on the reduced prevalence of digeneans in their final hosts, including those of medical or veterinary importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Stanicka
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Szopieray
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun, Poland
| | - Łukasz Migdalski
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun, Poland
| | - Jarosław Kobak
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun, Poland
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Stanicka A, Cichy A, Bulantová J, Labecka AM, Ćmiel AM, Templin J, Horák P, Żbikowska E. Thinking "outside the box": The effect of nontarget snails in the aquatic community on mollusc-borne diseases. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 845:157264. [PMID: 35820526 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157264] [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: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There is a great need to understand the impact of complex communities on the free-living parasite stages that are part of them. This task becomes more complex as nonnative species emerge, changing existing relationships and shaping new interactions in the community. A relevant question would be: Can the coexistence of nontarget snails with the target hosts contribute to trematodasis control? We used field and experimental approaches to investigate nonnative competitor-induced parasite dilution. During a three-year field study, we investigated digenean infection in Lymnaea stagnalis from eight Polish lakes inhabited or uninhabited by Potamopyrgus antipodarum. Additionally, we verified the presence of digenean infections in the populations of P. antipodarum. Moreover, we conducted an experimental infection of L. stagnalis with miracidia of Trichobilharzia szidati under increasing densities of P. antipodarum and aimed to infect P. antipodarum with them separately. The prevalence of avian schistosomes in lymnaeid snails was significantly higher in uninhabited lakes than in lakes inhabited by P. antipodarum. Our study indicates that waters with a higher density of invaders have a lower prevalence of avian schistosomes in lymnaeid hosts. The results of experimental studies confirmed that the presence of high densities of P. antipodarum reduces the probability of target host infection. Both field and experimental studies rule out the role of P. antipodarum as a source of avian schistosome cercariae. Here, a nonnative species was tested as a diluter, which in practice may be harmful to the local environment. This work is not a call for the introduction of nonnative species; it is intended to be a stimulus for researchers to continue searching for natural enemies of parasites because, as our results show, they exist. Finding natural enemies to the most dangerous species of human and animal parasites that will pose no threat to the local environment could be groundbreaking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Stanicka
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland.
| | - Anna Cichy
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Jana Bulantová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czechia
| | - Anna Maria Labecka
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Adam Marcin Ćmiel
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. A. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Julita Templin
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Petr Horák
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czechia
| | - Elżbieta Żbikowska
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
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Invasive Alien Slug Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon, 1855 (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Arionidae) in Moscow Parks and Its Co-introduced Parasite Alloionema appendiculatum Schneider, 1859. Acta Parasitol 2022; 67:921-931. [PMID: 35386068 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-022-00541-5] [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: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The present study investigates the origin of Arion vulgaris slugs in the parks of Moscow city and their parasites. METHODS Snails and slugs inhabiting green areas of Moscow city were collected in the summer season of 2020 and examined on the presence of gastropod-associated nematodes and trematodes using morphological and molecular methods. RESULTS The presence of the alien slug species, Arion vulgaris, was recorded in several locations, and the mitochondrial gene-based analysis has shown that slug populations inhabited Moscow parks originated from West and Central Europe. Out of a total of 15 gastropod species examined, A. vulgaris was the only species infected by the nematode Alloionema appendiculatum Schneider, 1859, a larval parasite of molluscs. It is the first record of this nematode from the territory of the Russian Federation. COX1 mtDNA sequences of A. appendiculatum obtained from 3 populations of infected slugs were identical with those from Western and Central Europe similarly to their gastropod hosts thus indicating that the nematodes travelled with their hosts. No parasites dangerous for humans or animals were found. CONCLUSION The complex life cycle of A. appendiculatum includes a free-living stage in soil which offers a source of infection for other potentially susceptible gastropod species but the capacity of A. appendiculatum to change hosts in local conditions needs to be further investigated. The particular susceptibility and tolerance of A. vulgaris to nematodes in our study was in concordance with earlier data while in contradiction with the enemy release hypothesis.
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McIntire KM, Chappell KM, Juliano SA. How do noncompetent hosts cause dilution of parasitism? Testing hypotheses for native and invasive mosquitoes. Ecology 2021; 102:e03452. [PMID: 34165788 PMCID: PMC8487931 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Parasite dilution occurs in varied systems, via multiple potential mechanisms. We used laboratory manipulation and field surveys to test for invader-induced parasite dilution via two specific mechanisms: host-host competition and encounter reduction. In the laboratory, single Aedes triseriatus larvae were exposed to one of eight combinations of: parasitic Ascogregarina barretti, +/-1 cohabiting Aedes albopictus larva during parasite exposure, and +/-1 cohabiting A. albopictus larva after infectious parasite removal. Larval infection intensity (predicted to decrease via dilution by encounter reduction) was not significantly affected by A. albopictus. Adult infection prevalence and intensity (predicted to decrease via dilution by host-host competition) were significantly greater with A. albopictus, suggesting parasite amplification by interspecific competition, an effect potentially mediated by competition increasing A. triseriatus development time. In the field, we tested for effects of potential dilution host abundances on prevalence and abundance of A. barretti in A. triseriatus larvae. Piecewise path analysis yielded no evidence of host-host competition impacting parasitism in the field, but instead indicated a significant direct negative effect of Aedes spp. abundance on parasite abundance in A. triseriatus, which is consistent with dilution via encounter reduction in the field, but only in tree holes, not in man-made containers. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that a noncompetent invader can alter the native host-parasite relationship, but our laboratory and field data yield differing results. This difference is likely due to laboratory experiment testing for per capita effects of dilution hosts on parasitism, but field analysis testing for effects of dilution host abundance on parasitism. Individually, host-host competition with the invader amplifies, rather than dilutes, parasite success. In contrast, our path analysis is consistent with the hypothesis that dilution of parasitism results from increased abundance of noncompetent hosts in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina M McIntire
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 61790-4120, USA
| | - Kasie M Chappell
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 61790-4120, USA
| | - Steven A Juliano
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 61790-4120, USA
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Evans MV, Drake JM, Jones L, Murdock CC. Assessing temperature-dependent competition between two invasive mosquito species. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02334. [PMID: 33772946 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Invasive mosquitoes are expanding their ranges into new geographic areas and interacting with resident mosquito species. Understanding how novel interactions can affect mosquito population dynamics is necessary to predict transmission risk at invasion fronts. Mosquito life-history traits are extremely sensitive to temperature, and this can lead to temperature-dependent competition between competing invasive mosquito species. We explored temperature-dependent competition between Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi, two invasive mosquito species whose distributions overlap in India, the Middle East, and North Africa, where An. stephensi is currently expanding into the endemic range of Ae. aegypti. We followed mosquito cohorts raised at different intraspecific and interspecific densities across five temperatures (16-32°C) to measure traits relevant for population growth and to estimate species' per capita growth rates. We then used these growth rates to derive each species' competitive ability at each temperature. We find strong evidence for asymmetric competition at all temperatures, with Ae. aegypti emerging as the dominant competitor. This was primarily because of differences in larval survival and development times across all temperatures that resulted in a higher estimated intrinsic growth rate and competitive tolerance estimate for Ae. aegypti compared to An. stephensi. The spread of An. stephensi into the African continent could lead to urban transmission of malaria, an otherwise rural disease, increasing the human population at risk and complicating malaria elimination efforts. Competition has resulted in habitat segregation of other invasive mosquito species, and our results suggest that it may play a role in determining the distribution of An. stephensi across its invasive range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle V Evans
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E Green St., Athens, Georgia, USA
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, 203 DW Brooks Dr, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - John M Drake
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E Green St., Athens, Georgia, USA
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, 203 DW Brooks Dr, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Lindsey Jones
- Department of Biology, Albany State University, 504 College Dr., Albany, Georgia, 31705, USA
| | - Courtney C Murdock
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 DW Brooks Dr, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Cornell University, 2126 Comstock Hall, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
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Group-size effects on virus prevalence depend on the presence of an invasive species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03040-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Stanicka A, Migdalski Ł, Szopieray K, Cichy A, Jermacz Ł, Lombardo P, Żbikowska E. Invaders as Diluents of the Cercarial Dermatitis Etiological Agent. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10060740. [PMID: 34208370 PMCID: PMC8231267 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on alien and invasive species focuses on the direct effects of invasion on native ecosystems, and the possible positive effects of their presence are most often overlooked. Our aim was to check the suitability of selected alien species (the snail Physa acuta, the bivalve Dreissena polymorpha, and the gammarid Dikerogammarus villosus) as diluents for infectious bird schistosome cercariae—the etiological factor of swimmer’s itch. It has been hypothesized that alien species with different feeding habits (scrapers, filterers and predators) that cohabit the aquatic environment with intermediate hosts of the schistosomatid trematodes are capable of feeding on their free-swimming stages—cercariae. In the laboratory conditions used, all experimental animals diluted the cercariae of bird schistosome. The most effective diluents were P. acuta and D. villosus. However, a wide discrepancy in the dilution of the cercariae between replicates was found for gammarids. The obtained results confirm the hypothesis that increased biodiversity, even when alien species are involved, creates the dilution effect of the free-living stages of parasites. Determining the best diluent for bird schistosome cercariae could greatly assist in the development of current bathing areas protection measures against swimmer’s itch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Stanicka
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Łukasz Migdalski
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
| | - Katarzyna Szopieray
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
| | - Anna Cichy
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
| | - Łukasz Jermacz
- Department of Ecology and Biogeography, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland;
| | | | - Elżbieta Żbikowska
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
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Soghigian J, Livdahl T. Field Evidence of Mosquito Population Regulation by a Gregarine Parasite. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1188-1196. [PMID: 33570154 PMCID: PMC8122234 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although parasites are by definition costly to their host, demonstrating that a parasite is regulating its host abundance in the field can be difficult. Here we present an example of a gregarine parasite, Ascogregarina taiwanensis Lien and Levine (Apicomplexa: Lecudinidae), regulating its mosquito host, Aedes albopictus Skuse (Diptera: Culicidae), in Bermuda. We sampled larvae from container habitats over 2 yr, assessed parasite prevalence, and estimated host abundance from egg counts obtained in neighboring ovitraps. We regressed change in average egg count from 1 yr to the next on parasite prevalence and found a significant negative effect of parasite prevalence. We found no evidence of host density affecting parasite prevalence. Our results demonstrate that even for a parasite with moderate virulence, host regulation can occur in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Soghigian
- Department of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, MA
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Todd Livdahl
- Department of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, MA
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Westby KM, Juliano SA, Medley KA. Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) Has Not Become the Dominant Species in Artificial Container Habitats in a Temperate Forest More Than a Decade After Establishment. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:950-955. [PMID: 33073848 PMCID: PMC8244635 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) is one of the most invasive species globally, and has led to rapid declines and local extirpations of resident mosquitoes where it becomes established. A potential mechanism behind these displacements is the superior competitive ability of Ae. albopictus in larval habitats. Research on the context-dependent nature of competitive displacement predicts that Ae. albopictus will not replace native Aedes triseriatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae) in treeholes but could do so in artificial container habitats. Aedes albopictus remains rare in temperate treeholes but less is known about how Ae. albopictus fares in artificial containers in forests. Tyson Research Center (TRC) is a field station composed of mostly oak-hickory forest located outside Saint Louis, MO. The container community has been studied regularly at TRC since 2007 with permanently established artificial containers on the property since 2013. Aedes albopictus was detected each year when these communities were sampled; however, its abundance remains low and it fails to numerically dominate other species in these communities. We present data that show Ae. albopictus numbers have not increased in the last decade. We compare egg counts from 2007 to 2016 and combine larval sample data from 2012 to 2017.We present average larval densities and prevalence of Ae. albopictus and two competitors, Ae. triseriatus and Aedes japonicus (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae), as well as monthly averages by year. These data highlight a circumstance in which Ae. albopictus fails to dominate the Aedes community despite it doing so in more human-impacted habitats. We present hypotheses for these patterns based upon abiotic and biotic environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie M Westby
- Tyson Research Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Eureka, MO
| | - Steven A Juliano
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL
| | - Kim A Medley
- Tyson Research Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Eureka, MO
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Stump E, Childs LM, Walker M. Parasitism of Aedes albopictus by Ascogregarina taiwanensis lowers its competitive ability against Aedes triseriatus. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:79. [PMID: 33494790 PMCID: PMC7831270 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04581-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mosquitoes are vectors for diseases such as dengue, malaria and La Crosse virus that significantly impact the human population. When multiple mosquito species are present, the competition between species may alter population dynamics as well as disease spread. Two mosquito species, Aedes albopictus and Aedes triseriatus, both inhabit areas where La Crosse virus is found. Infection of Aedes albopictus by the parasite Ascogregarina taiwanensis and Aedes triseriatus by the parasite Ascogregarina barretti can decrease a mosquito’s fitness, respectively. In particular, the decrease in fitness of Aedes albopictus occurs through the impact of Ascogregarina taiwanensis on female fecundity, larval development rate, and larval mortality and may impact its initial competitive advantage over Aedes triseriatus during invasion. Methods We examine the effects of parasitism of gregarine parasites on Aedes albopictus and triseriatus population dynamics and competition with a focus on when Aedes albopictus is new to an area. We build a compartmental model including competition between Aedes albopictus and triseriatus while under parasitism of the gregarine parasites. Using parameters based on the literature, we simulate the dynamics and analyze the equilibrium population proportion of the two species. We consider the presence of both parasites and potential dilution effects. Results We show that increased levels of parasitism in Aedes albopictus will decrease the initial competitive advantage of the species over Aedes triseriatus and increase the survivorship of Aedes triseriatus. We find Aedes albopictus is better able to invade when there is more extreme parasitism of Aedes triseriatus. Furthermore, although the transient dynamics differ, dilution of the parasite density through uptake by both species does not alter the equilibrium population sizes of either species. Conclusions Mosquito population dynamics are affected by many factors, such as abiotic factors (e.g. temperature and humidity) and competition between mosquito species. This is especially true when multiple mosquito species are vying to live in the same area. Knowledge of how population dynamics are affected by gregarine parasites among competing species can inform future mosquito control efforts and help prevent the spread of vector-borne disease. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Stump
- Systems Biology, Virginia Tech, Hahn Hall South Suite 2108, 24061, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Lauren M Childs
- Department of Mathematics, Virginia Tech, 460 McBryde Hall, 225 Stanger Street, 24061, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Melody Walker
- Department of Mathematics, Virginia Tech, 460 McBryde Hall, 225 Stanger Street, 24061, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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