Occurrence of immature forms of culicids (Insecta: Diptera) in the northeastern region of Brazil

Trophic interactions of an invasive gecko in an endemic-rich oceanic island: Insights using DNA metabarcoding

Understanding the trophic interactions of introduced predators is key for evidence-based management of biological invasions. This is particularly important in oceanic islands, where predator-prey networks often include numerous endemic and range-restricted species. Geckos are successful island colonizers and in recent years numerous species have established populations in a wide array of oceanic islands. One such species is the Moorish gecko (Tarentola mauritanica), which has colonized multiple islands across the Mediterranean basin, Caribbean and Macaronesia. The species was first reported in Madeira Island in 1993 and over the last 30 years has colonized most of the islands' southern coast and expanded to the nearby island of Porto Santo. Here, we used DNA metabarcoding to provide the first insights into the diet of this successful colonizer in its introduced range. The species' diet was mainly composed of ground-dwelling arthropods belonging to the families Porcellionidae (Isopoda), Julidae (Diplopoda) and Formicidae (Hymenoptera). The diet richness and composition were not affected by neither sex nor size of adult geckos, instead they both change across populations. However, trophic niche-width differed among size classes, with smaller geckos feeding on a wider range of prey. We identified over 160 different Operational Taxonomic Units in the diet of T. mauritanica, with 21.6% of them belonging to introduced invertebrates and 13.6% to native species. Native prey taxa included the endemic Madeira wall lizard (Teira dugesii), the sole native reptile to Madeira. We also detected several agricultural pests and disease vectors in the diet of this exotic predator, and 19 taxa identified as prey had not yet been recorded to Madeira. Of these, several are serious agricultural pests, highlighting how this introduced gecko can be used as a natural sampler, in particular for the early detection of invasive arthropod pests. This study emphasizes the importance of trophic studies for monitoring the impacts of introduced predators in fragile insular systems.

Anopheline diversity in urban and peri-urban malaria foci: comparison between alternative traps and seasonal effects in a city in the Western Brazilian Amazon

BACKGROUND

Continuous vector surveillance and sustainable interventions are mandatory in order to prevent anopheline proliferation (or spread to new areas) and interrupt malaria transmission. Anopheline abundance and richness were evaluated in urban and peri-urban malaria foci at a medium-sized city in the Brazilian Amazon, comparing the protected human landing catch technique (PHLC) and alternative sampling methods over different seasonal periods. Additional information was assessed for female feeding behaviour and faunal composition.

METHODS

Anophelines were sampled bimonthly in four urban and peri-urban sites in the city of Porto Velho, state of Rondônia, Brazil. The average number of captured mosquitoes was compared between an PHLC (gold standard), a tent trap (Gazetrap), and a barrier screen by means of generalized linear mixed models (GLMM), which also included season and environment (peri-urban/urban) as predictors.

RESULTS

Overall, 2962 Anopheles individuals belonging to 12 species and one complex were caught; Anopheles darlingi represented 86% of the individuals. More mosquitoes were captured in the peri-urban setting, and the urban setting was more diverse. The model estimates that significantly more anophelines were collected by PHLC than by the Screen method, and Gazetrap captured fewer individuals. However, the Screen technique yielded more blood-engorged females. The peak hours of biting activity were from 6 to 7 p.m. in urban areas and from 7 to 8 p.m. in peri-urban areas.

CONCLUSIONS

Although peri-urban settings presented a greater abundance of anophelines, Shannon and Simpson diversities were higher in urban sites. Each technique proved to be useful, depending on the purpose: PHLC was more effective in capturing the highest anopheline densities, Gazetrap caught the greatest number of species, and the barrier screen technique captured more engorged individuals. There was no seasonal effect on Anopheles assemblage structure; however, a more diverse fauna was caught in the transitional season. Biting activity was more intense from 6 to 8 p.m., with a predominance of An. darlingi.