Floodwater mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are associated with periodically flooded wet meadows, marshes, and swamps in floodplains of major rivers worldwide, and their larvae are abundant in the shallow parts of f...Floodwater mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are associated with periodically flooded wet meadows, marshes, and swamps in floodplains of major rivers worldwide, and their larvae are abundant in the shallow parts of flooded areas. The nuisance caused by the blood-seeking adult female mosquitoes motivates mosquito control. Larviciding with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis is considered the most environmentally safe method. However, some concern has been raised whether aquatic predatory insects could be indi- rectly affected by this reduction in a potential vital prey. Top predators in the temporary wetlands in the River Dal/ilven floodplains are diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), and Aedes sticticus andAe, vexans are the target species for mosquito control. For detailed stud- ies on this aquatic predator-prey system, we developed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for detection of mosquito DNA in the guts of medinm-sized diving beetles. Primers were designed for amplifying short mitochondrial DNA fragments of the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene in Ae. sticticus and Ae. vexans, respectively. Primer speci- ficity was confirmed and half-life detectability ofAe. sticticus DNA in diving beetle guts was derived from a feeding and digestion experiment. The Ae. sticticus DNA within diving beetle guts was detected up to 12 h postfeeding, and half-life detectability was estimated to 5.6 h. In addition, field caught diving beetles were screened for Ae. sticticus and Ae. vexans DNA and in 14% of the diving beetles one or both mosquito species were detected, showing that these mosquito species are utilized as food by the diving beetles.展开更多
During 2009 and 2010, 23 night-time mosquito captures were made at Kanci obora in south-eastern Moravia, Czech Republic. It was used in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) miniature light traps wit...During 2009 and 2010, 23 night-time mosquito captures were made at Kanci obora in south-eastern Moravia, Czech Republic. It was used in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) miniature light traps with CO2 (dry ice) and baited lard-can traps in which sentinel animals were replaced with a container filled with CO2 (dry ice). In the observed period, a total of 31,882 female mosquitoes were captured by CDC miniature light traps with CO2. Lard-can traps baited with CO2 captured 995 females under the same conditions, which is just 3.12% of the quantity from the CDC traps. At the same time, there were significant differences in the proportional captures of various species. Compared to CDC miniature light traps, baited lard-can traps much more often captured Aedes cinereus (16.58% of total versus 1.93% in CDC traps), Culex modestus (15.48% versus 4.62%), and Ae. rossicus (6.13% versus 2.67%). On the other hand, capture of female Ae. vexans was proportionally much lower (15.38% versus 36.41%). Capture of Cx. pipiens was more or less the same 14.77% (miniature light traps) and 15.76% (baited lard-can traps). The occurrence of the calamity species Ae. sticticus was proportionally very high in both trap types (30.05% in lard-can traps baited with CO2, 33.58% in CDC miniature light traps). The findings prove that a trap's design itself significantly affects not only the overall capture of mosquitoes but also the proportional representation of individual species.展开更多
文摘Floodwater mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are associated with periodically flooded wet meadows, marshes, and swamps in floodplains of major rivers worldwide, and their larvae are abundant in the shallow parts of flooded areas. The nuisance caused by the blood-seeking adult female mosquitoes motivates mosquito control. Larviciding with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis is considered the most environmentally safe method. However, some concern has been raised whether aquatic predatory insects could be indi- rectly affected by this reduction in a potential vital prey. Top predators in the temporary wetlands in the River Dal/ilven floodplains are diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), and Aedes sticticus andAe, vexans are the target species for mosquito control. For detailed stud- ies on this aquatic predator-prey system, we developed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for detection of mosquito DNA in the guts of medinm-sized diving beetles. Primers were designed for amplifying short mitochondrial DNA fragments of the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene in Ae. sticticus and Ae. vexans, respectively. Primer speci- ficity was confirmed and half-life detectability ofAe. sticticus DNA in diving beetle guts was derived from a feeding and digestion experiment. The Ae. sticticus DNA within diving beetle guts was detected up to 12 h postfeeding, and half-life detectability was estimated to 5.6 h. In addition, field caught diving beetles were screened for Ae. sticticus and Ae. vexans DNA and in 14% of the diving beetles one or both mosquito species were detected, showing that these mosquito species are utilized as food by the diving beetles.
文摘During 2009 and 2010, 23 night-time mosquito captures were made at Kanci obora in south-eastern Moravia, Czech Republic. It was used in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) miniature light traps with CO2 (dry ice) and baited lard-can traps in which sentinel animals were replaced with a container filled with CO2 (dry ice). In the observed period, a total of 31,882 female mosquitoes were captured by CDC miniature light traps with CO2. Lard-can traps baited with CO2 captured 995 females under the same conditions, which is just 3.12% of the quantity from the CDC traps. At the same time, there were significant differences in the proportional captures of various species. Compared to CDC miniature light traps, baited lard-can traps much more often captured Aedes cinereus (16.58% of total versus 1.93% in CDC traps), Culex modestus (15.48% versus 4.62%), and Ae. rossicus (6.13% versus 2.67%). On the other hand, capture of female Ae. vexans was proportionally much lower (15.38% versus 36.41%). Capture of Cx. pipiens was more or less the same 14.77% (miniature light traps) and 15.76% (baited lard-can traps). The occurrence of the calamity species Ae. sticticus was proportionally very high in both trap types (30.05% in lard-can traps baited with CO2, 33.58% in CDC miniature light traps). The findings prove that a trap's design itself significantly affects not only the overall capture of mosquitoes but also the proportional representation of individual species.