The Biodiversity of Water Mites That Prey on and Parasitize Mosquitoes

Vasquez, Adrian A.; Kabalan, Bana A.; Ram, Jeffrey L.; Miller, Carol J.

doi:10.3390/d12060226

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Although we found no evidence for resource‐limited total PO limiting parasite prevalence, other aspects of damselfly immune function (e.g., nitric oxide, haemocyte counts, proPO; Siva‐Jothy et al, 2005) could be responding to reduced resource levels. Alternatively, greater prey densities also may improve mite condition since adult mites are voracious predators after leaving their damselfly hosts and consume invertebrate prey that also are the same prey base as damselflies (Smith et al, 2010; Vasquez et al, 2020; Vasquez et al, 2021). This could explain why the most important driver of parasitism in this system appears to be the local environment, as high prey densities could increase mite fitness, which could subsequently increase parasitism in Enallagma .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A role for the local environment in driving species‐specific parasitism in a multi‐host parasite system

Hasik

Siepielski

2022

Freshwater Biology

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The extent and magnitude of parasitism often vary among closely related host species and across populations within species. Determining the ecological basis for this species and population‐level variation in parasitism is critical for understanding infection dynamics in multi‐host–parasite systems. To investigate such ecological underpinnings of variation in parasitism, we studied Enallagma damselfly host species and their water mite (Arrenurus spp.) ectoparasites in lakes. We first evaluated how host identity and density could shape parasitism. To test the effects of con‐ and heterospecific host density on parasitism, we used a field experiment with Enallagma basidens and E. signatum. We found that parasitism did not vary with con‐ or heterospecific density and was determined by host identity alone, with no spillover effects. We also evaluated the potential role of local adaptation and resource availability in shaping parasitism. To do so, we used E. signatum in a reciprocal transplant experiment crossed with a prey resource‐level manipulation. This experiment revealed that parasitism declined sharply for one host population in its non‐local lake, but not the other source population, with no effects of prey levels. This asymmetry implies that damselflies express enhanced defences against parasitism that are neither population‐specific nor dependent on resource abundance, or that mites developed heightened local host specificity. The results of multivariate modeling from an observational study generally supported these experimental findings: neither host density nor resource abundance strongly explained among‐population variation in parasitism. Instead, local abiotic conditions (pH) had the strongest relationship with parasitism, with minimal associations with predator density, temperature and a measure of immune function. Collectively, our findings suggest a crucial role for the local environment in shaping host–parasite interactions within multi‐host–parasite systems. More generally, these results show that research at the intersection of community ecology and disease ecology is critical for understanding host–parasite dynamics within natural communities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A role for the local environment in driving species‐specific parasitism in a multi‐host parasite system

Hasik

Siepielski

2022

Freshwater Biology

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“…However, Blue Heron Lagoon is less than ideal habitat for mosquitoes, which favor fish-free stagnant waters [41], compared to the lentic habitat but nevertheless wind-affected fishery habitat. An important study, which we have started, is to test the effect of Lebertia water mites or other water mite genera found in temporary pools where mosquitoes are generally found [12]. As opportunistic feeders, Lebertia in Blue Heron Lagoon may simply not have had many mosquito larvae to choose from compared to chironomid larvae and oligochaetes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given that mosquitoes are vectors of many human diseases (malaria, Zika, West Nile virus, etc.) and therefore among the most harmful insects known, the predatory behavior of water mites, along with the ability of Lebertia larvae to parasitize adult mosquitoes [42], indicate that the negative impacts of water mites on mosquitos may be an important ecosystem service provided by water mites [12].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular diet studies of water mites reveal prey biodiversity

Vasquez

Mohiddin

et al. 2021

PLoS ONE

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Water mites are diverse aquatic invertebrates that provide potentially important ecosystem and economic services as bioindicators and mosquito biocontrol; however, little is known about water mite digestive physiology, including their diet in nature. Water mites, much like their spider relatives, liquefy their prey upon consumption. This results in the absence of morphologically identifiable prey in water mite mid-gut. Previous studies have reported associations in the field of water mites with presumed prey and laboratory observations of water mites feeding on specific organisms offered for ingestion; however, the present work aims to determine what water mites have ingested in nature based on molecular studies of gut contents from freshly collected organisms from the field. To elucidate water mite prey, we used next-generation sequencing to detect diverse cytochrome oxidase I DNA barcode sequences of putative prey in the guts of 54 specimens comprising two species of Lebertia and a few specimens of Arrenurus (2) and Limnesia (1). To our knowledge this is the first molecular study of the diets of water mites as they feed in nature. While the presence of chironomid DNA confirmed previous observations of midge larvae as part of the diets of Lebertia, we also found the DNA of diverse organisms in all four species of water mites, including the DNA of mosquitoes in 6 specimens of Lebertia and a large number of previously unknown prey, especially from oligochaete worms. These studies thereby reveal a greater diversity of prey and a potentially broader significance than previously appreciated for water mites in aquatic food webs. Molecular studies like this can detect water mite predators of mosquito larvae and add knowledge of water mite predatory contributions to freshwater food webs.

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“…Water mites are true aquatic arachnids that are ubiquitous and are considered the most biodiverse arachnid class [7]. Water mites belong to the suborder Parasitengona, and, as the name suggests, most water mites are parasitic as larvae [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improved Chironomid Barcode Database Enhances Identification of Water Mite Dietary Content

et al. 2022

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Chironomids are one of the most biodiverse and abundant members of freshwater ecosystems. They are a food source for many organisms, including fish and water mites. The accurate identification of chironomids is essential for many applications in ecological research, including determining which chironomid species are present in the diets of diverse predators. Larval and adult chironomids from diverse habitats, including lakes, rivers, inland gardens, coastal vegetation, and nearshore habitats of the Great Lakes, were collected from 2012 to 2019. After morphological identification of chironomids, DNA was extracted and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcodes were PCR amplified and sequenced. Here we describe an analysis of biodiverse adult and larval chironomids in the Great Lakes region of North America based on new collections to improve chironomid identification by curating a chironomid DNA barcode database, thereby expanding the diversity and taxonomic specificity of DNA reference libraries for the Chironomidae family. In addition to reporting many novel chironomid DNA barcodes, we demonstrate here the use of this chironomid COI barcode database to improve the identification of DNA barcodes of prey in the liquefied diets of water mites. The species identifications of the COI barcodes of chironomids ingested by Lebertia davidcooki and L. quinquemaculosa are more diverse for L. davidcooki and include Parachironomus abortivus, Cryptochironomus ponderosus. Parachironomus tenuicaudatus, Glyptotendipes senilis, Dicrotendipes modestus, Chironomus riparius, Chironomus entis/plumosus, Chironomus maturus, Chironomus crassicaudatus, Endochironomus subtendens, Cricotopus sylvestris, Cricotopus festivellus, Orthocladius obumbratus, Tanypus punctipennis, Rheotanytarsus exiguus gr., and Paratanytarsus nr. bituberculatus.

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The Biodiversity of Water Mites That Prey on and Parasitize Mosquitoes

Cited by 10 publications

References 47 publications

A role for the local environment in driving species‐specific parasitism in a multi‐host parasite system

A role for the local environment in driving species‐specific parasitism in a multi‐host parasite system

Molecular diet studies of water mites reveal prey biodiversity

Improved Chironomid Barcode Database Enhances Identification of Water Mite Dietary Content

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