Background
St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is endemic and autochthonous on the American continent. Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus is a vector of SLEV; however, Culex interfor and Culex saltanensis have also been found to be naturally infected with SLEV. The aim of this study was to determine the vector competence of C. interfor and C. saltanensis for SLEV from Argentina compared with C. p. quinquefasciatus. Culex genus is Cx.?
Methods
Female of the Culex species were orally infected by feeding on viraemic chicks that had been inoculated with SLEV. Abdomens, legs and saliva blood-fed mosquitoes were analysed by viral plaque assay.
Results
Mosquitoes were susceptible to orally acquired infection, dissemination and transmission of SLEV in the saliva.
Conclusions
Our results demonstrate that C. saltanensis and C. interfor are susceptible to SLEV and competent for its transmission.
RESUMEN ∙ La familia Thamnophilidae agrupa unas doscientas especies de aves paseriformes. Si bien en los últimos años se ha avanzado en el conocimiento de la biología reproductiva de muchas de estas especies, todavía hay algunas para las que ciertos parámetros reproductivos son aún desconocidos. Con el presente trabajo contribuimos al conocimiento de la biología reproductiva del Chororó (Taraba major) y la Choca Común (Thamnophilus caerulescens), aportando principalmente datos sobre su comportamiento de incubación en la provincia de Córdoba, Argentina, en el extremo sur de su distribución. Registramos tamaño de la puesta, duración del período de incubación y otras variables asociadas al comportamiento de incubación utilizando sensores remotos y observaciones directas, y medimos crecimiento de pichones en el nido. En las dos especies los adultos compartieron tareas de incubación, y el porcentaje de atención diario al nido fue elevado en ambas (T. major: 91,46%; T. caerulescens: 92,52%). El patrón de incubación durante las horas de luz resultó diferente entre las especies. Para T. major, con el transcurso del día aumento la duración y disminuyó la cantidad de los eventos de incubación y recesos. En contraposición, para T. caerulescens ambas variables se mantuvieron constantes a lo largo del día. Los datos aportados por este trabajo enriquecen el conocimiento de la biología reproductiva de especies de tamnofílidos poco estudiadas, y sirven de base para investigar respecto a los factores que moldean los comportamientos de cuidado parental en estas aves. ABSTRACT ∙ Incubation behavior of Great Antshrike (Taraba major) and Variable Antshrike (Thamnophilus caerulescens) in Argentina The Thamnophilidae family comprises approximately 200 species of passeriforme birds. Even though in the last years there has been advancement in the knowledge of the reproductive biology of many of those species, there are still species for which several reproductive parameters are unknown. With this work we contribute to the knowledge of the reproductive biology of the Great Antshrike (Taraba major) and the Variable Antshrike (Thamnophilus caerulescens) mainly providing data on their incubation behavior in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, corresponding to their southernmost distribution. We recorded clutch size, total duration of the incubation period, and other variables associated with incubation behavior by means of remote sensors and direct observations. In both species, adults shared incubation duties and nest attentiveness was high (T. major: 91.46%; T. caerulescens: 92.52%). The pattern of incubation for daylight hours was different between the species. In the case of T. major, the duration of on and off bouts increased during the course of the day, and the number of bouts decreased. In contrast, for T. caerulescens both variables remained constant throughout the day. The data provided in this study enriches our knowledge of the reproductive biology of understudied Thamnophilidae species, and are useful as baseline information to investigate the factors that shape parental care behaviors in these birds.
Breeding biology and parental care behaviors of two nightjar species of Córdoba, Argentina. – Nightjars are insectivorous birds whose mimetic coloration and night activity make them difficult to study. The aim of this study has been to describe aspects of the little-known breeding biology of Little Nightjar (Setopagis parvulus parvulus) and Band-winged Nightjar (Systellura longirostris patagonicus), two sympatric species in the Chaco Serrano formation of the province of Córdoba, Argentina. We observed great similarity in the nest and nesting site of the studied species, as well as in reproductive traits and parental care behaviors. Clutch size of both species was two eggs, and incubation (monitored with temperature sensors and direct observations) was provided mostly by females, whereas males shared the duties a few hours during the day. The incubation period lasted approximately 17 days, and percentage of nest attentiveness was high in both species (Little Nightjar incubated 92.81 ± 2.33% and Band-winged Nightjar incubated 92.39 ± 4.73% per day). No translocation of eggs was documented in any nest, but we observed movements of chicks away from the nest, at distances that increased progressively as the young aged. In both species, growth curves of chicks indicated a size difference between the chicks of the same nest, possibly associated to asynchronous hatching. This study contributes to the knowledge of life history strategies and reproductive behavior of Neotropical nightjars, which so far is limited and deserves future attention.
We described parental behaviors at one nest during the incubation period of the Masked Gnatcatcher (Polioptila dumicola). The nest contained three eggs and both parents shared incubation duties for 14-15 days. The use of remote sensors allowed us to determine that adults spent 668.83 ± 40.86 min per day incubating, which resulted in approximately 80% of daylight hours to nest attentiveness. Lapses of incubation were on average 86.30 ± 51.67 min. We did not find significant differences in the duration or amount of incubation lapses or off-bouts among periods of the day (morning, midday, and afternoon).
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