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Cull B, Vo BN, Webb C, Williams CR. iNaturalist community observations provide valuable data on human-mosquito encounters. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2024; 49:R12-R26. [PMID: 39315958 DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-49.2.r12] [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: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and the pathogens they transmit represent a threat to human and animal health. Low-cost and effective surveillance methods are necessary to enable sustainable monitoring of mosquito distributions, diversity, and human interactions. This study examined the use of iNaturalist, an online, community-populated biodiversity recording database, for passive mosquito surveillance in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland, countries under threat from the introduction of invasive mosquitoes and emerging mosquito-borne diseases. The Mozzie Monitors UK & Ireland iNaturalist project was established to collate mosquito observations in these countries. Data were compared with existing long-term mosquito UK datasets to assess representativeness of seasonal and distribution trends in citizen scientist-recorded observations. The project collected 738 observations with the majority recorded 2020-2022. Records were primarily associated with urban areas, with the most common species Culex pipiens and Culiseta annulata significantly more likely to be observed in urban areas than other species. Analysis of images uploaded to the iNaturalist project also provided insights into human-biting behavior. Our analyses indicate that iNaturalist provides species composition, seasonal occurrence, and distribution figures consistent with existing datasets and is therefore a useful surveillance tool for recording information on human interactions with mosquitoes and monitoring species of concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Cull
- Department of Entomology, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, U.S.A.,
| | - Bao N Vo
- UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Cameron Webb
- Medical Entomology, NSW Health Pathology, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health and Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Craig R Williams
- UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
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Cuthbert RN, Dalu T, Callaghan A, Dolan EJ, Johnston B. Dyeing waters: Does indiscriminate dye use threaten aquatic ecosystems? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 953:176107. [PMID: 39255935 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176107] [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: 07/16/2024] [Revised: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
Aquatic ecosystem conservation is imperative to reaching global biodiversity and sustainability targets. However, the ecological status of waters has been continuously eroded through mismanagement in the face of existing and emerging anthropogenic stressors, such as pollutants. There has been an emerging trend towards the use of dyes to manage algae and plants as well as to alter aesthetics within various aquatic environments. This artificial colouring has potential ecological implications through reductions in light levels and disruptions to thermoclines (i.e., temperature regime changes with depth). Abiotic regime shifts could in turn drive ecological cascades by depowering primary production, hampering top-down trophic interactions, and affecting evolved animal behaviours. Despite commercial dyes being marketed as acutely non-toxic, very little is known about the chronic effects of these dyes across ecological scales and contexts. We thus call for greater research efforts to understand the ecological consequences of dye usage in aquatic environments, as well as the socio-cultural drivers for its application. This emerging research area could harness approaches such as biological assays, community module experiments, remote sensing, culturomics, and social surveys to elucidate dye effects, trends, and perspectives under a pollution framework. A greater understanding of the potential effects of dye in aquatic ecosystems under relevant contexts would help to inform management decisions and regulation options, while helping to mediate ecocentric and anthropocentric perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross N Cuthbert
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, United Kingdom.
| | - Tatenda Dalu
- Aquatic Systems Research Group, School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Nelspruit 1200, South Africa
| | - Amanda Callaghan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6EX, United Kingdom
| | - Ellen J Dolan
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, United Kingdom
| | - Barry Johnston
- School of Engineering, Wrexham University, Mold Road, Plas Coch, Wrexham LL11 2AW, Wales, United Kingdom
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Weidig NC, Miller AL, Parker AT. The Goldilocks principle: Finding the balance between water volume and nutrients for ovipositing Culex mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277237. [PMID: 36355844 PMCID: PMC9648744 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Females of container-breeding mosquito species use visual and chemical cues to determine suitable habitats to oviposit their eggs. Female Culex mosquitoes oviposit single egg rafts containing hundreds of eggs on the surface of water in container habitats. In this project, the effects of water volume and nutrient concentration were studied using three semi-controlled field assays to determine the role these parameters play on female Culex mosquito oviposition preference. The results of this study suggest female Culex prefer to oviposit in larger volumes of water and higher concentrations of nutrients separately, but chose intermediate conditions when presented with a combination of these two variables, which follows the Goldilocks principle. This choice may provide their offspring with optimal conditions for development by reducing intraspecific competition, thereby maximizing the biological fitness of the ovipositing Culex females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah C. Weidig
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Amber L. Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Allison T. Parker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Parker AT, McGill K, Allan BF. Container Type Affects Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Oviposition Choice. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:1459-1467. [PMID: 32161973 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Larvae of container-breeding mosquitoes develop in a wide range of container habitats found in residential neighborhoods. Different mosquito species may exhibit preference for different container types and sizes. Due to phenological differences, species composition in container habitats may change over time. We first conducted weekly neighborhood container surveys to determine the types of container habitats found in residential neighborhoods, and to determine mosquito species composition over time within these habitats. We then conducted an oviposition choice field assay to determine whether female mosquitoes of different species preferentially oviposit in different container types commonly found in neighborhoods. Halfway through the experiment, the largest container was removed at half the sites to test the hypothesis that incomplete source reduction alters oviposition preference among the remaining containers. In the neighborhood surveys, large containers had the greatest mosquito densities and the highest species richness. Aedes albopictus (Skuse), the most commonly collected mosquito, was found in all container types. The oviposition experiment indicated that Culex spp. females preferentially oviposit in large containers. When the largest container was removed, the total number of egg rafts decreased. Aedes spp. females preferred to oviposit in large- and medium-sized containers, but the total number of eggs laid did not change when the large container was removed. These results confirm that understanding habitat preferences of container-breeding mosquitoes is important to control efforts targeting vector species and that incomplete removal of container habitats may have unpredictable consequences for the distribution of juveniles among remaining habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison T Parker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, 254 Science Center, 1 Nunn Dr., Highland Heights, KY
| | - Kelsey McGill
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Brian F Allan
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
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Cuthbert RN, Coughlan NE, Dick JTA, Callaghan A. Sink trap: duckweed and dye attractant reduce mosquito populations. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 34:97-104. [PMID: 31638276 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12417] [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: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Duckweeds, such as Lemna minor Linnaeus (Alismatales: Lemnaceae), are common in aquatic habitats and have been suggested to reduce larval mosquito survivorship via mechanical and chemical effects. Furthermore, pond dyes are used increasingly in aquatic habitats to enhance their aesthetics, although they have been shown to attract mosquito oviposition. The present study examined the coupled effects of L. minor and black pond dye on the oviposition selectivity of Culex pipiens Linnaeus (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes in a series of laboratory choice tests. Subsequently, using outdoor mesocosms, the combined influence of duckweed and pond dye on mosquito abundances in aquatic habitats was quantified. Mosquitoes were strongly attracted to duckweed, and oviposited significantly greater numbers of egg rafts in duckweed-treated water compared with untreated controls, even when the duckweed was ground. The presence of pond dye interacted with the duckweed and further enhanced positive selectivity towards duckweed-treated water. The presence of duckweed caused significant and sustained reductions in larval mosquito numbers, whereas the relative effects of dye were not evident. The use of floating aquatic plants such as duckweed, combined with dye, may help reduce mosquito populations via the establishment of population sinks, characterized by high rates of oviposition coupled with high levels of larval mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross N Cuthbert
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, U.K
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, U.K
| | - Neil E Coughlan
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, U.K
| | - Jaimie T A Dick
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, U.K
| | - Amanda Callaghan
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, U.K
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Aljaibachi R, Laird WB, Stevens F, Callaghan A. Impacts of polystyrene microplastics on Daphnia magna: A laboratory and a mesocosm study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 705:135800. [PMID: 31972940 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Most research into microplastics (MPs) in freshwaters has concentrated on measurements under controlled conditions without any link to the natural environment. Here we studied the effects of a 15 μm polystyrene MP on Daphnia magna survival, growth, and reproduction in the laboratory. We also exposed fifteen 25 L freshwater mesocosms to a high concentration of the same MPs. Five were controls seeded with five species found in all ponds (mosquito, water flea, midge, spire shell and water mite), five identical but treated with 15 μm polystyrene MPs and five seeded with only mosquitoes and water fleas. The laboratory chronic toxicity test for both adults and neonate Daphnia magna revealed that effects were more related to the availability of food rather than the toxicity of MPs. In the mesocosms most of the MPs settled in the sediment after the first week of exposure. After four weeks the D. magna population decreased significantly in the MP mesocosms compared to the control mesocosms, although it subsequently recovered. There was no impact on other organisms added to the mesocosms, other than a difference in timing of lesser water boatman (Corixa punctata) colonisation, which colonised the control mesocosms in week 4 and the treated 4 weeks later. The detrivorous, sediment sifting, mayfly Leptophlebia marginata appeared in mesocosms in the fourth week of sampling and with significantly higher numbers in the MP treated mesocosm. Their activity had no significant impact on MPs in the water column, although numbers did increase above zero. The significant decline of D. magna suggests that their effect in a natural situation is unpredictable where environmental conditions and invertebrate communities may add additional stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Aljaibachi
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Harborne Building, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AS, United Kingdom
| | - William Bruce Laird
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Harborne Building, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AS, United Kingdom
| | - Freya Stevens
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Harborne Building, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AS, United Kingdom
| | - Amanda Callaghan
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Harborne Building, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AS, United Kingdom.
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Cuthbert RN, Callaghan A, Dick JTA. Dye another day: the predatory impact of cyclopoid copepods on larval mosquito Culex pipiens is unaffected by dyed environments. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2018; 43:334-336. [PMID: 30408292 DOI: 10.1111/jvec.12318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ross N Cuthbert
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Harborne Building, Reading, RG6 6AS, England
| | - Amanda Callaghan
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Harborne Building, Reading, RG6 6AS, England
| | - Jaimie T A Dick
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland
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