Paved Paradise: Belowground Parking Structures Sustain Urban Mosquito Populations in Washington, DC

Arsenault-Benoit, Arielle; Greene, Albert; Fritz, Megan L.

doi:10.2987/21-7023

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…quinquefasciatus are likely to oviposit (Leisnham et al, 2014). We propose that a combination of the urban heat island effect and insulated, linked subterranean habitat in commercial areas support this species better than urban residential areas due to overwintering thermal limitations (Arsenault‐Benoit et al, 2021; Harbison et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…quinquefasciatus homozygotes or heterozygotes according to the number of amplicons and amplicon lengths using gel electrophoresis. The PCR conditions for each of the assays were run as described in Arsenault-Benoit et al (2021). We molecularly identified 712 individuals from 2019, 814 from 2020 and 935 for 2021.…”

Section: Culex Species Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Raw data are publicly available on Dryad Digital Repository https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jm63xsjh8 (Arsenault‐Benoit & Fritz, 2023a). Scripts used for data analysis can be accessed in Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8250473 (Arsenault‐Benoit & Fritz, 2023b).…”

Section: Peer Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, standing irrigation waters, small containers, stormwater infrastructure and flooded subterranean concrete surfaces produced through human activity may serve as suitable ovipositional habitat for some, but not all, vector species (Norris, 2004;Townroe & Callaghan, 2014). Human-made habitats, such as insulated structures, may serve as overwintering (Arsenault-Benoit et al, 2021) or oversummering (Thareja et al, 2022) refugia that help to maintain some mosquito species in climatic regions with conditions otherwise outside of their natural thermal tolerance limits. Heterogeneity in the types and density of vegetation creates varied resting sites and habitat for vectors and their hosts, from cityscapes to parks, manicured lawns, forests or agricultural fields (Ferraguti et al, 2016;Gorris et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatiotemporal organization of cryptic North American Culex species along an urbanization gradient

Arsenault‐Benoit,

Fritz

2023

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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Landscape heterogeneity creates diverse habitat and resources for mosquito vectors of disease. A consequence may be varied distribution and abundance of vector species over space and time dependent on niche requirements. We tested the hypothesis that landscape heterogeneity driven by urbanization influences the distribution and relative abundance of Culex pipiens, Cx. restuans and Cx. quinquefasciatus, three vectors of West Nile virus (WNv) in the eastern North American landscape. We collected 9803 cryptic Culex from urban, suburban and rural sites in metropolitan Washington, District of Columbia, during the months of June–October, 2019–2021. In 2021, we also collected mosquitoes in April and May to measure early season abundance and distribution. Molecular techniques were used to identify a subset of collected Culex to species (n = 2461). Ecological correlates of the spatiotemporal distribution of these cryptic Culex were examined using constrained and unconstrained ordination. Seasonality was not associated with Culex community composition in June–October over 3 years, but introducing April and May data revealed seasonal shifts in community composition in the final year of our study. Culex pipiens were dominant across site types, while Cx. quinquefasciatus were associated with urban environments, and Cx. restuans were associated with rural and suburban sites. All three species rarely coexisted. Our work demonstrates that human‐mediated land‐use changes influence the distribution and relative abundance of Culex vectors of WNv, even on fine geospatial scales. Site classification, per cent impervious surface, distance to city centre and longitude predicted Culex community composition. We documented active Culex months before vector surveillance typically commences in this region, with Culex restuans being most abundant during April and May. Active suppression of Cx. restuans in April and May could reduce early enzootic transmission, delay the seasonal spread of WNv and thereby reduce overall WNv burden. By June, the highest risk of epizootic spillover of WNv to human hosts may be in suburban areas with high human population density and mixed Culex assemblages that can transmit WNv between birds and humans. Focusing management efforts there may further reduce human disease burden.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Culex Species Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Peer Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatiotemporal organization of cryptic North American Culex species along an urbanization gradient

Arsenault‐Benoit,

Fritz

2023

Ecol Sol and Evidence

Self Cite

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The role of urbanization in facilitating the introduction and establishment of non-native animal species: a comprehensive review

Carlon,

Dominoni

2024

Journal of Urban Ecology

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While urbanization is often associated to a loss of biodiversity, non-native animal species are strikingly successful in urban landscapes. As biological invasions are recognized to have detrimental environmental, social and economic impacts, extensive understanding of the interactions between invasive species and the abiotic and biotic environment is necessary for effective prevention and management strategies. However, the mechanisms underlying the success of invasive animals in urban environments are still poorly understood. We provide a first conceptual review of the role of urbanization in the introduction, establishment, and potential spread of non-native animal species. We summarize and discuss the mechanisms enhancing biological invasive potential of non-native animals in urban environments, by both isolating and interlinking the abiotic and biotic drivers involved. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) process, this systematic review covers a total of 124 studies comprehensive of all taxonomic groups, albeit with an evident publication bias for avian and terrestrial invertebrate species (22.1% and 19.8% of literature respectively). High-income regions also represent a larger bulk of the literature (Europe: 26.7%, North America: 23.7%). The most common reported factors facilitating species invasions in urban areas are reduced biotic resistance, and the competitive and urban-compatible ecological and/or behavioural traits of non-native animals allowing urban exploitation and aiding invasion. Finally, we identify important knowledge gaps, such as the scarcity of studies investigating socio-economic spatial patterns in the presence and abundance of invasive species, as well as the adaptive evolution of non-native animal species in urban areas.

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Sequencing 1206 genomes reveals origin and movement ofAedes aegyptidriving increased dengue risk

Crawford,

Balcazar,

Redmond

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The number of dengue cases worldwide has increased ten-fold over the past decade as Aedes aegypti, the primary vector of this disease, thrives and expands its distribution, revealing limitations to current control methods. To better understand how Ae. aegypti evolved from a forest dwelling, generalist species to a highly anthropophilic urban species and the impact of contemporary gene flow on the future of dengue control, we sequenced 1,206 genomes from mosquitoes collected at 74 locations around the globe. Here we show that after evolving a preference for humans in the Sahel region of West Africa, the origin of the fully domesticated, anthropophilic subspecies Ae. aegypti aegypti (Aaa) occurred in the Americas during the Atlantic Slave Trade era and was followed by its explosive expansion around the globe. In recent decades, Aaa has invaded coastal Africa, the ancestral home range, introducing insecticide resistance mutations and an affinity for human hosts. Evidence of back-to-Africa migration is found in regions with recent dengue outbreaks, raising concern that global movement of Aaa could increase transmission risk of arboviruses including dengue in urban Africa. These data provide a platform to further study this important mosquito vector species and underscore developing complexity in the fight to limit the spread of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya diseases.

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Paved Paradise: Belowground Parking Structures Sustain Urban Mosquito Populations in Washington, DC

Cited by 5 publications

References 21 publications

Spatiotemporal organization of cryptic North American Culex species along an urbanization gradient

Spatiotemporal organization of cryptic North American Culex species along an urbanization gradient

The role of urbanization in facilitating the introduction and establishment of non-native animal species: a comprehensive review

Sequencing 1206 genomes reveals origin and movement ofAedes aegyptidriving increased dengue risk

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