Attraction factors for Paederus fuscipes ' dispersal, a vector of Paederus dermatitis towards human residential premises

Abstract

Paederus fuscipes, a vector of Paederus dermatitis in most tropical and subtropical countries of the world have a high prevalence in human dwellings due to their positively phototaxic behaviour which has caused a tremendous impact on human health. In this paper, P. fuscipes dispersal flights were studied for two seasons of the rice cultivation phases in residential premises built close to rice field areas (≈32-60 m and 164 m) in mainland Penang, Malaysia. We examined the effects of different light illuminance, building floor level and their association with rice stages as a focal cause of P. fuscipes dispersion from the rice fields towards human dwellings. The present study showed a significant interaction between different light illuminances and rice cultivation phases in attracting P. fuscipes to disperse and invade human dwellings. The highest number of P. fuscipes was captured near the bright light. P. fuscipes flights increased in line with each floor level, and the highest captures took place at higher building floor levels (levels 2 and 3) compared to lower building floor levels (ground floor and level 1) of a three storey apartment in both rice seasons. This finding not only conveys a better understanding on P. fuscipes dispersal pattern, but also draws public attention on the occurrence of dermatitis linearis caused by the Paederus beetles.

Outbreak investigation of acid fly attack among residential students in a tertiary care centre in South India

“…These findings were established in a study conducted in Malaysia. 10 The artificial pond in the premises could also act as a potential source, since a study conducted in Orissa has shown that Paederus beetles thrive in stagnant water. 11 The weather changes like El-nino phenomenon and changes in rainfall has also been documented to alter the vegetation and support fly breeding.…”

A case study on the outbreak of paederus dermatitis caused by rove beetles (coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in women´s hostels of eastern university, Sri Lanka

“…This may be due to the flight pattern of rove beetles from surrounding vegetations toward attractive uppermost level luminescent lightings. Previous studies [19,13,20] so proved that victims of PD were in top and middle floor levels compared to the ground level of apartments. Further, large-scale of wind system also facilitate dispersal of agricultural pests or outbreaks of insect-borne infection from long distances [21], thus the rainy months with strong wind blowing may be an feasible climatic factor for PD outbreaks.…”

“…P. fuscipes is frequently found in marshes, rice fields, moist vegetations and has a cosmopoliton in distribution from Sri lanka, India, Southeast Asia, Central Asia to Japan, to Australia. The brightness of lights from housing areas attracts P. fuscipes from their breeding habitats located many miles far-away [13].…”

“…In some instances, they release paederin as a defensive action to escape from predators when they are in danger [9]. Paederus species which are nocturnal, predatory beetles, live in moist shady habitats possibly in paddy fields, banks of water bodies and marshes [10,11,1,12] and show positive phototaxic behavior [13] and are inevitably drawn to bright incandescent, fluorescent light and long wave ultraviolet in human residences after dusk [14,15].…”

Paederus dermatitis outbreak in Luanda City, Angola

“…2,3 Paederus is more active during the earliest hours after sunset, and it is attracted by artificial lights, so humans are usually exposed at night in urban and suburban areas. 4 In Angola, the provinces of Benguela, Lunda Sul, Lunda Norte and Cuanza Norte are areas with high infestation rates of Paederus. 5 We describe, however, 20 cases that appeared at the end of April 2017 in Luanda City.…”