PARASITIC NEMATODES OF INSECTS: A PERSPECTIVE OF STUDIES IN THE NEOTROPICAL REGION

he author gives a brief history of research in nematology of insects. He presents and discusses the principal finding in this discipline, regarding parasitism observed in insects in the neotropical region. Only the parasitic nematodes on the general cavity are dealt with, while nematodes of the medical and veterinarian types are excluded. A briel· account is given of parasitism caused by the following types of nematodes: Allantonematidae, Aphelenchoididae, Merm thidae, Oxyridae, Rhabditidae and Thelastomatidae. The cases of parasitism mentioned in the literature are reportd, but there are few. With the exception of Brazil, in the case of OXYUROIDEA, no country has had a continuing program of studies in this area. The influence of these nematodes on the host insects is discussed: reduction of fertility rate, sterility or mortality. The nematodes, being one of the factors limiting the growth of insect populations, can be used in certain cases in an integrated control program. Many cases of parasitism observed on Chrysomelidae and Nitidulidae (Coieopetera) in French Guyana are presented. The author concludes that our knowledge on the subject is very limited in the neotropical region, and thus a large field of studies remains open

Eudronema intestinalis n. g., n. sp. (Nematoda, Rhabditidae), parasite de l\u27intestin post\ue9rieur d\u27Eudromus striaticollis Brull\ue9 (Coleoptera, Harpalidae)

Volume: 123Start Page: 555End Page: 56

Diversity and role of cave-dwelling hematophagous insects in pathogen transmission in the Afrotropical region

International audienceThe progressive anthropization of caves for food resources or economic purposes increases human exposure to pathogens that naturally infect cave-dwelling animals. The presence of wild or domestic animals in the immediate surroundings of caves also may contribute to increasing the risk of emergence of such pathogens. Some zoonotic pathogens are transmitted through direct contact, but many others require arthropod vectors, such as blood-feeding insects. In Africa, hematophagous insects often play a key role in the epidemiology of many pathogens; however, their ecology in cave habitats remains poorly known. During the last decades, several investigations carried out in Afrotropical caves suggested the medical and veterinary importance particularly of insect taxa of the Diptera order. Therefore, the role of some of these insects as vectors of pathogens that infect cave-dwelling vertebrates has been studied. The present review summarizes these findings, brings insights into the diversity of cave-dwelling hematophagous Diptera and their involvement in pathogen transmission, and finally discusses new challenges and future research directions