Environmental Drivers of Seasonal Patterns of Host Utilization by Culiseta melanura (Diptera: Culicidae) in Florida

Blosser, Erik M.; Lord, Cynthia C.; Stenn, Tanise; Acevedo, Carolina; Hassan, Hassan K.; Reeves, Lawrence E.; Unnasch, Thomas R.; Burkett‐Cadena, Nathan D.

doi:10.1093/jme/tjx140

Cited by 22 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…morsitans, which is in agreement to the relative bird density observed (89% of visible host). According to literature, Culiseta species feed on birds and mammals, including humans (Brugman, 2016), but in United States they have also been found feeding on reptiles (Blosser et al, 2017). To best of our knowledge, the Cs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian Feeding Preferences of Culex pipiens and Culiseta spp. Along an Urban-to-Wild Gradient in Northern Spain

et al. 2020

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Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are regarded as annoying biting pests and vectors of disease-causing agents to humans and other vertebrates worldwide. Factors that affect their distribution and host choice are not well understood. Here, we assessed the species abundance, community composition, and feeding patterns of mosquitoes in an urban-to-wild habitat gradient in northern Spain. Adult mosquitoes from four habitats (urban, periurban, rural, and wild) were collected by aspiration from mid-July to mid-September, 2019. Thirteen species were represented among the 268 specimens (132 females and 136 males) trapped, including six new records reported for the first time in the region. Culex pipiens was the most abundant species in all habitats except in the wild, where Culex territans was dominant. The highest mosquito diversity was recorded in the wild habitat [species richness (S) = 10 and Shannon/Margalef-Diversity Indices (H'/MI = 1.51/1.36)] and the lowest in the urban habitat (S = 3; H'/MI = 0.24/0.41). Blood-engorged specimens (n = 65) represented 49.2% of the total female collections. Eighty percent of the blood-meals (n = 52) were successfully identified based on cytochrome c oxidase I subunit (COI) DNA barcoding. Nine species of birds were identified in blood meals from the three ecological forms of Cx. pipiens (n = 48), Culiseta fumipennis (n = 3), and Culiseta morsitans (n = 1) collected along the four sampling habitats. Four dominant bird species were recorded in Cx. pipiens, i.e., Parus major (35.4%), Turdus merula (18.7%), Pica pica (18.7%), and Passer domesticus (10.4%). Despite the availability of dog and human hosts in the sampling sites located in the urban habitat, Cx. pipiens seemed to have a preference to feed on birds. Culiseta fumipennis blood-meal host records are reported for first time in Europe. These findings on mosquito blood-feeding preferences and habitat community changes will help to better understand vector-host associations and pathogen transmission paths.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian Feeding Preferences of Culex pipiens and Culiseta spp. Along an Urban-to-Wild Gradient in Northern Spain

et al. 2020

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“…However, this result reflects recent findings on Cs . melanura host-use patterns in Florida suggesting that Anolis lizards are important hosts for this mosquito in the state [ 56 ], and highlights the importance of using blood meal analyses that are compatible with the full range of potential mosquito host animal classes so that unexpected host taxa are not missed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barcoding blood meals: New vertebrate-specific primer sets for assigning taxonomic identities to host DNA from mosquito blood meals

et al. 2018

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The transmission dynamics of mosquito-vectored pathogens are, in part, mediated by mosquito host-feeding patterns. These patterns are elucidated using blood meal analysis, a collection of serological and molecular techniques that determine the taxonomic identities of the host animals from which blood meals are derived. Modern blood meal analyses rely on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA sequencing, and bioinformatic comparisons of blood meal DNA sequences to reference databases. Ideally, primers used in blood meal analysis PCRs amplify templates from a taxonomically diverse range of vertebrates, produce a short amplicon, and avoid co-amplification of non-target templates. Few primer sets that fit these requirements are available for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, the species identification marker with the highest taxonomic coverage in reference databases. Here, we present new primer sets designed to amplify fragments of the DNA barcoding region of the vertebrate COI gene, while avoiding co-amplification of mosquito templates, without multiplexed or nested PCR. Primers were validated using host vertebrate DNA templates from mosquito blood meals of known origin, representing all terrestrial vertebrate classes, and field-collected mosquito blood meals of unknown origin. We found that the primers were generally effective in amplifying vertebrate host, but not mosquito DNA templates. Applied to the sample of unknown mosquito blood meals, > 98% (60/61) of blood meals samples were reliably identified, demonstrating the feasibility of identifying mosquito hosts with the new primers. These primers are beneficial in that they can be used to amplify COI templates from a diverse range of vertebrate hosts using standard PCR, thereby streamlining the process of identifying the hosts of mosquitoes, and could be applied to next generation DNA sequencing and metabarcoding approaches.

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“…The genetic variation among populations identified here could, among other factors, influence behavioral characteristics exhibited by Cs . melanura such as heterogeneities in host choice across regions [ 6 , 15 , 18 , 19 ], but correlating the fine-scale population structure reported here with previously observed host feeding patterns requires further investigations. Of note, human-derived blood meals from Cs .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…melanura have been identified in populations across the eastern United States, including from mosquitoes trapped near several locations utilized in this study, albeit at low frequencies (e.g. near 4-VT [ 17 ], 6-MA [ 19 ], 8-NJ [ 75 ], and 10-FL [ 18 ]). However, these populations belong to multiple genetic clusters identified in the present study, indicating that a propensity to feed on humans might be widespread across genetic clusters.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population genomics of Culiseta melanura, the principal vector of Eastern equine encephalitis virus in the United States

2018

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BackgroundEastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) (Togaviridae, Alphavirus) is a highly pathogenic mosquito-borne arbovirus that circulates in an enzootic cycle involving Culiseta melanura mosquitoes and wild Passeriformes birds in freshwater swamp habitats. Recently, the northeastern United States has experienced an intensification of virus activity with increased human involvement and northward expansion into new regions. In addition to its principal role in enzootic transmission of EEE virus among avian hosts, recent studies on the blood-feeding behavior of Cs. melanura throughout its geographic range suggest that this mosquito may also be involved in epizootic / epidemic transmission to equines and humans in certain locales. Variations in blood feeding behavior may be a function of host availability, environmental factors, and/or underlying genetic differences among regional populations. Despite the importance of Cs. melanura in transmission and maintenance of EEE virus, the genetics of this species remains largely unexplored.Methodology and principle findingsTo investigate the occurrence of genetic variation in Cs. melanura, the genome of this mosquito vector was sequenced resulting in a draft genome assembly of 1.28 gigabases with a contig N50 of 93.36 kilobases. Populations of Cs. melanura from 10 EEE virus foci in the eastern North America were genotyped with double-digest RAD-seq. Following alignment of reads to the reference genome, variant calling, and filtering, 40,384 SNPs were retained for downstream analyses. Subsequent analyses revealed genetic differentiation between northern and southern populations of this mosquito species. Moreover, limited fine-scale population structure was detected throughout northeastern North America, suggesting local differentiation of populations but also a history of ancestral polymorphism or contemporary gene flow. Additionally, a genetically distinct cluster was identified predominantly at two northern sites.Conclusion and significanceThis study elucidates the first evidence of fine-scale population structure in Cs. melanura throughout its eastern range and detects evidence of gene flow between populations in northeastern North America. This investigation provides the groundwork for examining the consequences of genetic variations in the populations of this mosquito species that could influence vector-host interactions and the risk of human and equine infection with EEE virus.

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Environmental Drivers of Seasonal Patterns of Host Utilization by Culiseta melanura (Diptera: Culicidae) in Florida

Cited by 22 publications

References 38 publications

Avian Feeding Preferences of Culex pipiens and Culiseta spp. Along an Urban-to-Wild Gradient in Northern Spain

Avian Feeding Preferences of Culex pipiens and Culiseta spp. Along an Urban-to-Wild Gradient in Northern Spain

Barcoding blood meals: New vertebrate-specific primer sets for assigning taxonomic identities to host DNA from mosquito blood meals

Population genomics of Culiseta melanura, the principal vector of Eastern equine encephalitis virus in the United States

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