During range expansion, invasive species can experience new thermal regimes. Differences between the thermal performance of local and invasive species can alter species interactions, including predator-prey interactions. The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a known vector of several viral diseases of public health importance. It has successfully invaded many regions across the globe and currently threatens to invade regions of the UK where conditions would support seasonal activity. We assessed the functional response and predation efficiency (percentage of prey consumed) of the cyclopoid copepods Macrocyclops albidus and Megacyclops viridis from South East England, UK against newly-hatched French Ae. albopictus larvae across a relevant temperature range (15, 20, and 25°C). Predator-absent controls were included in all experiments to account for background prey mortality. We found that both M. albidus and M. viridis display type II functional response curves, and that both would therefore be suitable biocontrol agents in the event of an Ae. albopictus invasion in the UK. No significant effect of temperature on the predation interaction was detected by either type of analysis. However, the predation efficiency analysis did show differences due to predator species. The results suggest that M. viridis would be a superior predator against invasive Ae. albopictus larvae due to the larger size of this copepod species, relative to M. albidus. Our work highlights the importance of size relationships in predicting interactions between invading prey and local predators.

The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a good indicator species for environmental contaminants because it does not migrate and its range covers a diversity of habitats, including metropolitan Atlanta, GA and the geographically isolated Hawaiian Islands. In addition, the cardinal is often found near people's homes, making it an ideal sentinel for human exposure. In this study, blood serum concentrations of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were measured in 40 cardinals from Atlanta and 17 cardinals from the Big Island (Hawaii), HI. We observed significantly higher median concentrations of four PFASs and significantly higher detection frequencies of seven PFASs in the cardinals from Atlanta, relative to the PFAS median concentrations and detection frequencies observed in the cardinals from Hawaii (α=0.05). Among the PFASs measured, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was observed in the highest concentrations. A linear regression model controlling for sex, age, and airport distance did not

With many coal-fired power plants scheduled to close across the United States in the coming years, there is interest in the potential impact on regional PM concentrations. In southwestern Pennsylvania, recent coal-fired power plant closings were coupled with a boom in unconventional natural gas extraction. Natural gas is currently seen as an economically viable bridge fuel between coal and renewable energy. This study provides policymakers with more information on the potential ambient concentration changes associated with coal-fired power plant closings as the nation's energy reliance shifts toward natural gas.

Predator-prey interactions influence prey traits through both consumptive and non-consumptive effects, and variation in these traits can shape vector-borne disease dynamics. Meta-analysis methods were employed to generate predation effect sizes by different categories of predators and mosquito prey. This analysis showed that multiple families of aquatic predators are effective in consumptively reducing mosquito survival, and that the survival of Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex mosquitoes is negatively impacted by consumptive effects of predators. Mosquito larval size was found to play a more important role in explaining the heterogeneity of consumptive effects from predators than mosquito genus. Mosquito survival and body size were reduced by non-consumptive effects of predators, but development time was not significantly impacted. In addition, Culex vectors demonstrated predator avoidance behavior during oviposition. The results of this meta-analysis suggest that predators limit disease transmission by reducing both vector survival and vector size, and that associations between drought and human West Nile virus cases could be driven by the vector behavior of predator avoidance during oviposition. These findings are likely to be useful to infectious disease modelers who rely on vector traits as predictors of transmission.

32During range expansion, invasive species can experience new thermal regimes. Differences between the thermal 33 performance of local and invasive species can alter species interactions, including predator-prey interactions. 34The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a known vector of several viral diseases of public health 35 importance. It has successfully invaded many regions across the globe and currently threatens to invade regions 36 of the UK where conditions would support seasonal activity. We assessed the functional response and predation 37 efficiency of the cyclopoid copepods Macrocyclops albidus and Megacyclops viridis from South East England, 38UK against newly-hatched French Ae. albopictus larvae. First, we assessed the functional response of each 39 copepod species at 15, 20, and 25°C. We then examined the predation efficiency of both copepod species at the 40 same three temperatures, holding the density of mosquito larvae prey constant. Predator-absent controls were 41 included in all experiments to account for background prey mortality. We found that temperature was not a 42 significant driver of predator-prey interactions over temperatures likely to be experienced in UK larval mosquito 43 habitats. Both copepod species exhibited type II functional responses across all three temperature treatments and 44 there was no significant change in predation efficiency due to temperature. We did observe differences between 45 predator species. The predation efficiency of M. viridis was approximately 7.5 percentage points higher than 46 that of M. albidus. Furthermore, there was a significant positive relationship between the body masses of the 47 copepods and their predation efficiencies, and copepod body mass explained more of the variability in predation 48 efficiency than copepod species. The type II functional responses indicated that both M. albidus and M. viridis 49 would be suitable biocontrol agents in the event of an Ae. albopictus invasion in the UK, but our analysis of 50 predation efficiency suggests that M. viridis would be a slightly superior predator due to its larger size. More 51 research is needed to quantify how well the conditions of artificial container mosquito habitats can support the 52 long-term stability of different copepod populations. This work highlights the importance of size relationships in 53 predicting interactions between invading prey and local predators. 54 55 Keywords 56 cyclopoid copepods, predation efficiency, functional response, invasion, biocontrol, public health, range 57 expansion, vector-borne 58 59 60 61 62

Since its introduction to North America in 1999, the West Nile virus (WNV) has resulted in over 50,000 human cases and 2400 deaths. WNV transmission is maintained via mosquito vectors and avian reservoir hosts, yet mosquito and avian infections are not uniform across ecological landscapes. As a result, it remains unclear whether the ecological communities of the vectors or reservoir hosts are more predictive of zoonotic risk at the microhabitat level. We examined this question in central Iowa, representative of the midwestern United States, across a land use gradient consisting of suburban interfaces with natural and agricultural habitats. At eight sites, we captured mosquito abundance data using New Jersey light traps and monitored bird communities using visual and auditory point count surveys. We found that the mosquito minimum infection rate (MIR) was better predicted by metrics of the mosquito community than metrics of the bird community, where sites with higher proportions of Culex pipiens group mosquitoes during late summer (after late July) showed higher MIRs. Bird community metrics did not significantly influence mosquito MIRs across sites. Together, these data suggest that the microhabitat suitability of Culex vector species is of greater importance than avian community composition in driving WNV infection dynamics at the urban and agricultural interface.

Predator-prey interactions influence prey traits through both consumptive and non-consumptive effects, and variation in these traits can shape vector-borne disease dynamics. Meta-analysis methods were employed to generate predation effect sizes by different categories of predators and mosquito prey. This analysis showed that multiple families of aquatic predators are effective in consumptively reducing mosquito survival, and that the survival of Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex mosquitoes is negatively impacted by consumptive effects of predators. Mosquito larval size was found to play a more important role in explaining the heterogeneity of consumptive effects from predators than mosquito genus. Mosquito survival and body size were reduced by non-consumptive effects of predators, but development time was not significantly impacted. In addition, Culex vectors demonstrated predator avoidance behavior during oviposition. The results of this meta-analysis suggest that predators limit disease transmission by reducing both vector survival and vector size, and that associations between drought and human West Nile virus cases could be driven by the vector behavior of predator avoidance during oviposition. These findings are likely to be useful to infectious disease modelers who rely on vector traits as predictors of transmission.

As the global temperature rises in the coming decades,Aedes albopictusis expected to invade and establish in South East England, whereCulex pipiensis currently the most common native mosquito species. Biocontrol measures that use local cyclopoid copepods againstAe. albopictusmay be compromised if the copepods prefer alternateCx. pipiensprey. In this study, we assessed the predation efficiency ofMegacyclops viridiscopepods against FrenchAe. albopictuslarvae and larvae that hatched from egg rafts ofCx. pipienscollected in South East England. The experiments were conducted at 15°C and 25°C, which are representative of present and future summer temperatures in South East England.Ae. albopictuslarvae that survived the course of the experiment in the predator-absent controls were significantly smaller thanCx. pipienslarvae that survived in the absence of predation. The background mortality ofCx. pipienslarvae increased with the ten-degree increase in temperature, and the smaller size of survivingCx. pipienslarvae at 25°C, relative to survivors at 15°C, suggests that largerCx. pipienslarvae were more likely to die at the higher temperature setting. Across all experimental treatments, the ratio of copepod body length to mean prey length, based on larval lengths of survivors from the corresponding predator-absent controls, was a significant predictor of predation efficiency. Adding temperature setting to the predation efficiency model as a predictor did not improve model fit. Within the mixed prey treatments, the predation efficiency ofM. viridiswas 34.5 percentage points higher againstAe. albopictusprey than againstCx. pipiensprey. The higher predation efficiency thatM. viridisexhibited against invasiveAe. albopictusprey, likely due to the smaller size of these larvae, supports the future use ofM. viridisas a biocontrol agent in the UK.