Persistent pods of the tree Acacia caven: a natural refuge for diverse insects including Bruchid beetles and the parasitoids Trichogrammatidae, Pteromalidae and Eulophidae

The persistent pods of the tree, Acacia caven, that do not fall from the tree provide opportunities for the appearance of a diverse group of insects the following season. Such pods collected during the spring of 1999 in Chile were indehiscent with highly sclerified pod walls. In contrast, persistent pods collected in Uruguay after a wet winter and spring (2002) were partially dehiscent, inducing the deterioration of the woody pods, and consequently exposing the seeds. These persistent pods are a natural refuge for insect species, namely two bruchid beetles (Pseudopachymeria spinipes, Stator furcatus), one scolytidae (Dendroctonus sp), lepidopterous larvae, ant colonies (Camponotus sp),one species of oophagous parasitoid (Uscana espinae group senex), the gregarious larval-pupae parasitoid Monoksa dorsiplana (Pteromalidae) and two species of Horismenus spp. (Eulophidae). The patriline of M. dorsiplana is frequently formed by 1 son +7 daughters.Comment: 9 page

Aedes aegypti Control Strategies in Brazil: Incorporation of New Technologies to Overcome the Persistence of Dengue Epidemics

Dengue is considered to be the most important mosquito-borne viral disease in the world. The Aedes aegypti mosquito, its vector, is highly anthropophilic and is very well adapted to urban environments. Although several vaccine candidates are in advanced stages of development no licensed dengue vaccine is yet available. As a result, controlling the spread of dengue still requires that mosquitoes be targeted directly. We review the current methods of dengue vector control focusing on recent technical advances. We first examine the history of Brazil’s National Dengue Control Plan in effect since 2002, and we describe its establishment and operation. With the persistent recurrence of dengue epidemics, current strategies should be reassessed to bring to the forefront a discussion of the possible implementation of new technologies in Brazil’s mosquito control program

Aedes aegypti mosquito saliva ameliorates acetaminophen-induced liver injury in mice.

Acetaminophen (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, APAP) overdose is the most common cause of drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Although the primary hepatic damage is induced by APAP-derived toxic intermediates resulting from cytochrome P450 metabolism, immune components also play an important role in DILI pathophysiology. Aedes aegypti saliva is a source of bioactive molecules with in vitro anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. However, evidences on the therapeutic use of Ae. aegypti salivary preparations in animal models of relevant clinical conditions are still scarce. Thus, the present study was designed to evaluate the protective role of Ae. aegypti saliva in a murine model of APAP-induced DILI. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to Ae. aegypti bites 2 hours after APAP overdose. Biochemical and immunological parameters were evaluated in blood and liver samples at different time points after APAP administration. Exposure to Ae. aegypti saliva attenuated liver damage, as demonstrated by reduced hepatic necrosis and serum levels of alanine aminotransferase in APAP-overdosed mice. The levels of hepatic CYP2E1, the major enzyme responsible for the bioactivation of APAP, were not changed in Ae. aegypti exposed animals, suggesting no effects in the generation of hepatotoxic metabolites. On the other hand, mice treated with Ae. aegypti saliva following APAP overdose presented lower serum concentration of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and IL-10, as well as reduced frequency of inflammatory cell populations in the liver, such as NKT cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. These findings show that Ae. aegypti saliva has bioactive molecules with therapeutic properties and may represent a prospective source of new compounds in the management of DILI-associated inflammatory disorders and, perhaps, many other inflammatory/autoimmune diseases

Towards mosquito sterile insect technique programmes: Exploring genetic, molecular, mechanical and behavioural methods of sex separation in mosquitoes

Abstract When considering a mosquito release programme, one of the first issues to be addressed is how to eliminate/separate the females. The greatest number of options might eventually be available for those who can use transgenic mosquitoes, but the inherent characteristics of the target species may also provide possibilities for interim measures until more efficient methods can be developed. Differences in intrinsic size, in behaviour and in development rate between females and males are often available and useful for sexing. Efficient species-specific systems for eliminating females at the embryo stage have been developed, but most have since been discarded due to lack of use. Ideal systems specifically kill female embryos using some treatment that can be manipulated during production. Such killing systems are far more efficient than using intrinsic sexual differences, but they systems require selectable genetic markers and sex-linkage created by rare random chromosomal rearrangements. While intrinsic sexual differences should not be considered as long-term candidates for the development of robust and efficient sexing approaches, in the absence of these, the accessibility and integration of less efficient systems can provide a stop-gap measure that allows rapid start up with a minimum of investment. The International Atomic Energy Agency is funding over a 5 year period (2013–2018) a new Coordinated Research Project on "Exploring Genetic, Molecular, Mechanical and Behavioural Methods of Sex Separation in Mosquitoes" to network researchers and to address the critical need of genetic sexing strains for the implementation of the sterile insect technique (using radiation-sterilised or transgenic male mosquitoes) and for insect incompatibility technique programmes against disease-transmitting mosquitoes

L'Écho : grand quotidien d'information du Centre Ouest

12 juillet 19151915/07/12 (A44).Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : PoitouCh

Evans Blue as a Simple Method to Discriminate Mosquitoes’ Feeding Choice on Small Laboratory Animals

<div><p>Background</p><p>Temperature, humidity, vision, and particularly odor, are external cues that play essential roles to mosquito blood feeding and oviposition. Entomological and behavioral studies employ well-established methods to evaluate mosquito attraction or repellency and to identify the source of the blood meal. Despite the efficacy of such methods, the costs involved in the production or acquisition of all parts, components and the chemical reagents involved are unaffordable for most researchers from poor countries. Thus, a simple and relatively low-cost method capable of evaluating mosquito preferences and the blood volume ingested is desirable.</p><p>Principal Findings</p><p>By using Evans blue (EB) vital dye and few standard laboratory supplies, we developed and validated a system capable of evaluating mosquito’s choice between two different host sources of blood. EB-injected and PBS-injected mice submitted to a number of situations were placed side by side on the top of a rounded recipient covered with tulle fabric and containing <i>Aedes aegypti</i> mosquitoes. Homogenates from engorged mosquitoes clearly revealed the blood source (EB- or PBS-injected host), either visually or spectrometrically. This method was able to estimate the number of engorded mosquitoes, the volume of blood ingested, the efficacy of a commercial repellent and the attractant effects of black color and human sweat.</p><p>Significance</p><p>Despite the obvious limitations due to its simplicity and to the dependence of a live source of blood, the present method can be used to assess a number of host variables (diet, aging, immunity, etc) and optimized for several aspects of mosquito blood feeding and vector-host interactions. Thus, it is proposed as an alternative to field studies, and it could be used for initial screenings of chemical compound candidates for repellents or attractants, since it replicates natural conditions of exposure to mosquitoes in a laboratory environment.</p></div