Reptiles and amphibians constitute a significant portion of vertebrate biomass in terrestrial ecosystems and may be important arbovirus reservoirs. To investigate mosquito preference for ectothermic hosts, feeding indices were calculated from data collected in Tuskegee National Forest, Alabama, USA. Four mosquito species fed upon ectothermic hosts, with Cx. peccator and Cx. territans feeding primarily upon ectotherms. These two species appeared to target distinct species with little overlap in host choice. Culex peccator was a generalist in its feeding patterns within ectotherms, while Cx. territans appeared to be a more specialized feeder. Six of eleven ectotherm species fed upon by Cx. territans were fed upon more often than predicted based upon abundance. Spring Peepers were highly preferred over other host species by Cx. territans. Blood meals taken from each host species varied temporally, with some hosts being targeted fairly evenly throughout the season and others being fed upon in seasonal peaks.
BackgroundHuman landing collections are currently the standard method for collecting onchocerciasis vectors in Africa and Latin America. As part of the efforts to develop a trap to replace human landing collections for the monitoring and surveillance of onchocerciasis transmission, comprehensive evaluations of several trap types were conducted to assess their ability to collect Simulium
ochraceum sensu lato, one of the principal vectors of Onchocerca volvulus in Latin America.Methodology/Principal FindingsDiverse trap designs with numerous modifications and bait variations were evaluated for their abilities to collect S. Ochraceum s.l. females. These traps targeted mostly host seeking flies. A novel trap dubbed the “Esperanza window trap” showed particular promise over other designs. When baited with CO2 and BG-lure (a synthetic blend of human odor components) a pair of Esperanza window traps collected numbers of S. Ochraceum s.l. females similar to those collected by a team of vector collectors.Conclusions/SignificanceThe Esperanza window trap, when baited with chemical lures and CO2 can be used to collect epidemiologically significant numbers of Simulium
ochraceum s.l., potentially serving as a replacement for human landing collections for evaluation of the transmission of O. volvulus.
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