Biting the hand that feeds: Anthropogenic drivers interactively make mosquitoes thrive

Boerlijst, Sam P.; Johnston, E.S.; Ummels, A.; Krol, Louie; Boelee, Eline; Bodegom, Peter M. van; Schrama, Maarten

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159716

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 87 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These Cx. pipiens mosquitoes might subsequently migrate to more suitable temporary water bodies following a precipitation event [ 85 , 86 ]. In summary, these findings show higher larval Cx.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of Culex pipiens life stages across urban green and grey spaces in Leiden, The Netherlands

Krol,

Langezaal,

Budidarma

et al. 2024

Parasites Vectors

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background There is an urgent need for cities to become more climate resilient; one of the key strategies is to include more green spaces in the urban environment. Currently, there is a worry that increasing green spaces might increase mosquito nuisance. As such, this study explores a comprehensive understanding of how mosquitoes utilise contrasting grey and green habitats at different life stages and which environmental factors could drive these distributions. Methods We used a setup of six paired locations, park (green) vs. residential (grey) areas in a single model city (Leiden, The Netherlands), where we sampled the abundances of different mosquito life stages (eggs, larvae, adults) and the local microclimatic conditions. In this study, we focused on Culex pipiens s.l., which is the most common and abundant mosquito species in The Netherlands. Results Our results show that while Cx. pipiens ovipositioning rates (number of egg rafts) and larval life stages were far more abundant in residential areas, adults were more abundant in parks. These results coincide with differences in the number of suitable larval habitats (higher in residential areas) and differences in microclimatic conditions (more amenable in parks). Conclusions These findings suggest that Cx. pipiens dispersal may be considerably more important than previously thought, where adult Cx. pipiens seek out the most suitable habitat for survival and breeding success. Our findings can inform more targeted and efficient strategies to mitigate and reduce mosquito nuisance while urban green spaces are increased, which make cities more climate resilient. Graphical Abstract

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of Culex pipiens life stages across urban green and grey spaces in Leiden, The Netherlands

Krol,

Langezaal,

Budidarma

et al. 2024

Parasites Vectors

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These adaptations in osmoregulation include physiological (reduced surface area of anal papillae or active transport of ions) [ 31 , 31 , 32 ] and behavioral adaptations (increased metabolism and uptake of organic compounds in hemolymph) [ 32 – 37 ], resulting in tolerance that changes across life stages [ 38 ] and differs between sexes [ 39 ]. Namely, female mosquitoes tend to be less strongly selected for early maturation, which may lead to prolonged exposure to stress as compared to males [ 40 ]. With time, adaptation to salinization has caused species-specific preferences during oviposition [ 40 – 43 ], further shaping mosquito community composition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Namely, female mosquitoes tend to be less strongly selected for early maturation, which may lead to prolonged exposure to stress as compared to males [ 40 ]. With time, adaptation to salinization has caused species-specific preferences during oviposition [ 40 – 43 ], further shaping mosquito community composition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taking it with a grain of salt: tolerance to increasing salinization in Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) across a low-lying delta

Boerlijst,

van der Gaast,

Adema

et al. 2024

Parasites Vectors

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Salinity, exacerbated by rising sea levels, is a critical environmental cue affecting freshwater ecosystems. Predicting ecosystem structure in response to such changes and their implications for the geographical distribution of arthropod disease vectors requires further insights into the plasticity and adaptability of lower trophic level species in freshwater systems. Our study investigated whether populations of the mosquito Culex pipiens, typically considered sensitive to salt, have adapted due to gradual exposure. Methods Mesocosm experiments were conducted to evaluate responses in life history traits to increasing levels of salinity in three populations along a gradient perpendicular to the North Sea coast. Salt concentrations up to the brackish–marine transition zone (8 g/l chloride) were used, upon which no survival was expected. To determine how this process affects oviposition, a colonization experiment was performed by exposing the coastal population to the same concentrations. Results While concentrations up to the currently described median lethal dose (LD50) (4 g/l) were surprisingly favored during egg laying, even the treatment with the highest salt concentration was incidentally colonized. Differences in development rates among populations were observed, but the influence of salinity was evident only at 4 g/l and higher, resulting in only a 1-day delay. Mortality rates were lower than expected, reaching only 20% for coastal and inland populations and 41% for the intermediate population at the highest salinity. Sex ratios remained unaffected across the tested range. Conclusions The high tolerance to salinity for all key life history parameters across populations suggests that Cx. pipiens is unlikely to shift its distribution in the foreseeable future, with potential implications for the disease risk of associated pathogens. Graphical Abstract

show abstract

“…Land use patterns are thought to influence mosquito abundance due to differences in the availability of aquatic habitats, food availability, predation, host availability, vegetation and capacity to buffer temperature effects [ [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] ]. Soil type affects local hydrology, related to the persistence of aquatic habitat, and water chemistry, which is linked to food availability [ [30] , [31] , [32] , [33] ]. Unlike for soil type, no comprehensive GIS layers exist for these more direct predictors of mosquito abundances.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unlike for soil type, no comprehensive GIS layers exist for these more direct predictors of mosquito abundances. These factors related to land use and soil type have been shown to be important mosquito population regulation factors [ 32 , 33 ]. However, despite inclusion of soil type and land use in some models, it remains poorly understood how and to what extent differences in soil types and land uses play a role in driving mosquito abundance, and how these interact with temperature and precipitation [ 27 , 34 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactive effects of climate, land use and soil type on Culex pipiens/torrentium abundance

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Biting the hand that feeds: Anthropogenic drivers interactively make mosquitoes thrive

Cited by 7 publications

References 87 publications

Distribution of Culex pipiens life stages across urban green and grey spaces in Leiden, The Netherlands

Distribution of Culex pipiens life stages across urban green and grey spaces in Leiden, The Netherlands

Taking it with a grain of salt: tolerance to increasing salinization in Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) across a low-lying delta

Interactive effects of climate, land use and soil type on Culex pipiens/torrentium abundance

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About