Fox Squirrels (Sciurus niger) Develop West Nile Virus Viremias Sufficient for Infecting Select Mosquito Species

The West Nile virus (WNV) viremia and shedding profiles of 11 adult fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) infected by needle inoculation or mosquito bite were characterized. Daily mean titers (95% confidence intervals) for all squirrels on days 1 through 6 postexposure (p.e.) were: 10(1.7 (1.32.1)), 10(4.4 (4.04.8)), 10(5.3 (5.05.6)), 10(4.4 (3.94.9)), 10(2.7 (2.03.4)), and 10(1.1 (0.52.1)) plaque-forming units (PFU)/mL. The highest WNV serum titers of individual squirrels infected by needle inoculation or mosquito bite ranged from 10(4.5) to 10(6.1) and from 10(5.1) to 10(5.3) PFU/mL, respectively. Nine (82%) squirrels, including all 4 squirrels infected by mosquito bite, had WNV serum titers \u3e or =10(5.1) PFU/mL that persisted on average for 1.6 +/- 0.3 days. Infection and dissemination rates of Culex pipiens (L.) that fed on squirrels with serum titers of 10(4.4 +/- 0.1) PFU/mL were 56% and 13%, respectively. Both of these rates increased to over 80% when fed on squirrels with a mean WNV titer of 10(5.5 +/- 0.1) PFU/mL. Infection and dissemination also occurred in Aedes triseriatus (Say) but at a much lower rate. WNV was isolated from the oral and rectal cavities of all squirrels and from urine that was opportunistically collected from 5 squirrels. The largest quantity of WNV recovered from swabs of the oral cavity and urine was 10(3.1) PFU. The longest periods after exposure that WNV was isolated from the oral cavity and urine from a squirrel were 22 and 17 days p.e., respectively. WNV RNA was also detected in kidney tissue in 1 squirrel 29 days p.e., suggesting that fox squirrels can be persistently infected. Collectively these observations provide further evidence that squirrels can contribute to the natural history and epidemiology of WNV, especially in peridomestic environments

Storozhenkotilla aurofasciata

Storozhenkotilla aurofasciata (André, 1907) (Figs 44–54) Mutilla aurofasciata André, 1907: 255, ♀, holotype, ♀, Pankulam / Ceylon [Sri Lanka] / W. Horn / Holotype / Mutilla aurofasciata ♀ nov. sp. [SDEI], examined. Storozhenkotilla aurofasciata: Lelej 2005: 37, Figs 99–102, ♁, 176 (description of ♁), India: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu; Terine et al. 2020a: 3; Pagliano et al. 2020: 236. Material examined. SRI LANKA: Mannar District: 0.8 km NE Kokmotte Bungalow, Wilpattu National Park, 21–25.V.1976, K.V. Krombein, P.B. Karunaratne, S. Karunaratne, D.W. Balasooriya leg. / Mutilla aurofasciata André, B. Petersen det. 1980, 1♀ [IBSS]. INDIA: Karnataka, Bangalore, 916 m, 29.X.1978, K.D. Ghorpade leg., A719 / Mutilla aurofasciata André, B. Petersen det. 1980, 1♀ [IBSS]; Tamil Nadu: Kodaikanal, 6500 ft [1981 m], Pulney Hills [Palni Hills], IV–V.1953, P.S. Nathan, K.V. Krombein collection, 1975–1976, 1♁ [USNM]; Madras, Coimbatore, 1400 ft., VIII.1963, P. Susai Nathan, 1♀ [FSCA]; Thirunelveli district, Kodumundiyar dam site, 26.IX.2018, P. Girish Kumar, 1♁, ZSI/WGRC/IR/INV.21298 [ZSIK]; Pondicherry: Auroville, 10 km N Pondicherry [Puducherry], 24.X.2004, F. Burger, 1♁; Auroville, 10 km N Pondicherry, Canians, 25.XI.2005, F. Burger, 1 ♀; Auroville, 10 km N Pondicherry, 7.I.2007, F. Burger, 1♀; same place, 12.II.2007, F. Burger, 1♀; same place, 20.II.2007, F. Burger, 1♀; same place, 5.III.2007, F. Burger, 1♀; same place, 13.III.2007, F. Burger, 1♀; same place, 23.III.2007, F. Burger, 1♀ [IBSS]. Distribution. Sri Lanka, South India (Karnataka, * Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu). Remarks. This is the type species for the genus Storozhenkotilla and the females are easily separated from all other Oriental Mutillini species by the transverse suture between the pronotum and mesonotum. Males are less obviously distinct from other Mutillini, but they do seem to be the only Oriental Mutillini with T7 uniformly punctate and the metasoma without any metallic luster.Published as part of Lelej, Arkady S., Williams, Kevin A., Terine, Joshua B., Okayasu, Juriya, Parikh, Grishma R. & Kumar, Girish P., 2023, Review of the tribe Mutillini (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) from the Oriental Region, pp. 455-476 in Zootaxa 5228 (4) on page 471, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/754010

Mutilla Linnaeus 1758

Genus Mutilla Linnaeus, 1758 Type species: Mutilla europaea Linnaeus,1758 by subsequent designation (Latreille 1810). Diagnosis. FEMALE. In the Oriental and eastern Palaearctic regions, this genus is unique in having the mesosomal sides parallel, T1 broad, and the T2 disc with uniformly black setae. Other diagnostic features include: mandible unarmed ventrally, head usually wider than mesosoma, mesosomal width equal to or narrower than pronotum in dorsal view, and T6 lacking defined pygidial plate. MALE. In the Oriental region, males can be separated from other Mutillinae genera by having the mandible unarmed ventrally, the clypeus with a medial projection, the tegula elongate, the mesoscutellum unarmed, T1 broad, T7 tuberculate or carinate, and the paramere with a ventral brush of long setae. Remarks. Seventy species are currently placed in the genus Mutilla, mostly from the Afrotropical and Palaearctic regions (Bischoff 1920, Lelej 2002, Pagliano et al. 2020). The eastern Palaearctic Mutilla mikado Cameron, 1900 penetrates into Oriental areas of China. Other Oriental species that were previously placed in Mutilla (Lelej 2005) are transferred into the genera Kurzenkotilla or Storozhenkotilla in this paper.Published as part of Lelej, Arkady S., Williams, Kevin A., Terine, Joshua B., Okayasu, Juriya, Parikh, Grishma R. & Kumar, Girish P., 2023, Review of the tribe Mutillini (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) from the Oriental Region, pp. 455-476 in Zootaxa 5228 (4) on page 467, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/754010

FIGURES 7–20. Kurzenkotilla. 7–13. K in Review of the tribe Mutillini (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) from the Oriental Region

FIGURES 7–20. Kurzenkotilla. 7–13. K. annamensis (7, 9. ♀, holotype). 14–20. K. harmandi. 7, 8, 14, 15. Habitus, dorsal view; 9, 10, 16, 17. Habitus, lateral view. 11–13, 18–20. Genitalia (11, 18, dorsal view; 12, 19, lateral view); 13, 20, Penis valve. 7, 9, 14, 16, ♀; 8, 10–13, 15, 17–20, ♁. (Photographs by K. Williams and J. Okayasu).Published as part of Lelej, Arkady S., Williams, Kevin A., Terine, Joshua B., Okayasu, Juriya, Parikh, Grishma R. & Kumar, Girish P., 2023, Review of the tribe Mutillini (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) from the Oriental Region, pp. 455-476 in Zootaxa 5228 (4) on page 462, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/754010

FIGURES 53–58 in Review of the tribe Mutillini (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) from the Oriental Region

FIGURES 53–58. Storozhenkotilla ♀♀. 53–54. S. aurofasciata; 55–58. S. binghami; 53, 55, 57. Habitus, dorsal view. 54, 56, 58. Habitus, lateral view. (Photographs by K. Williams).Published as part of Lelej, Arkady S., Williams, Kevin A., Terine, Joshua B., Okayasu, Juriya, Parikh, Grishma R. & Kumar, Girish P., 2023, Review of the tribe Mutillini (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) from the Oriental Region, pp. 455-476 in Zootaxa 5228 (4) on page 472, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/754010