scholarly journals Simulations reveal the power and peril of artificial breeding sites for monitoring and managing animals

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 1155-1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. W. McClure ◽  
Benjamin P. Pauli ◽  
Julie A. Heath
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Artificial Breeding

scholarly journals Entomological Surveillance in Former Malaria-endemic Areas of Southern Italy

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1521
Author(s):  
Donato Antonio Raele ◽  
Francesco Severini ◽  
Daniela Boccolini ◽  
Michela Menegon ◽  
Luciano Toma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Vectors ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Entomological Surveillance ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Animal Shelters ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Artificial Breeding ◽  
Anopheles Vectors ◽  
Gargano Promontory ◽  
Anopheles Algeriensis

Malaria still represents a potential public health issue in Italy, and the presence of former Anopheles vectors and cases imported annually merit continuous surveillance. In areas no longer endemic, the concurrent presence of gametocyte carriers and competent vectors makes re-emergence of local transmission possible, as recently reported in Greece. In October 2017, due to the occurrence of four suspected introduced malaria cases in the province of Taranto (Apulia region), entomological investigations were performed to verify the involvement of local anopheline species. In 2019–2020 entomological surveys were extended to other areas historically prone to malaria between the provinces of Taranto and Matera and the province of Foggia (Gargano Promontory). Resting mosquitoes were collected in animal shelters and human dwellings, larvae were sampled in natural and artificial breeding sites, and specimens were both morphologically and molecularly identified. A total of 2228 mosquitoes were collected, 54.3% of which were anophelines. In all the investigated areas, Anopheles labranchiae was the most widespread species, while Anopheles algeriensis was predominant at the Gargano sites, and Anopheles superpictus and Anopheles plumbeus were recorded in the province of Matera. Our findings showed a potentially high receptivity in the surveyed areas, where the abundance of the two former malaria vectors, An. labranchiae and An. superpictus, is related to environmental and climatic parameters and to anthropic activities.

scholarly journals Large males have a mating advantage in a species of darter with smaller, allopaternal males Etheostoma olmstedi

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly A. Stiver ◽  
Suzanne H. Alonzo
Keyword(s):  
Mating Success ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Spawning Site ◽  
Egg Deposition ◽  
Artificial Breeding ◽  
Mean Size ◽  
Natural Breeding ◽  
To Receive

Abstract Theory suggests that males that are larger than their competitors may have increased mating success, due to both greater competitive ability and increased attractiveness to females. We examined how male mating success varies with male size in the tessellated darter Etheostoma olmstedi. Previous work has shown that large males tend to move around and breed in vacant breeding sites, and consequently provide less care for their eggs, while smaller individuals can be allopaternal, caring for the eggs of other males as well as for their own. We studied female egg deposition in a natural breeding population using artificial breeding sites and in the laboratory, where female choice of spawning site was restricted to two breeding sites tended by two males of different sizes. In both the field and the laboratory, nests tended by larger males were more likely to receive new eggs. Additionally, the mean size of males associated with a nest was positively correlated with both the maximum coverage of eggs at the nest and the number of times new eggs were deposited. We discuss how the increased mating success of larger males, despite their decreased parental care, may help explain allopaternal care in this species.

THE MATING PATTERNS OF FEMALES WHEN TERRITORIAL DIFFERENCES AMONG MALES ARE REDUCED: A TEST IN THE POLYGYNOUS BEAUGREGORY DAMSELFISH

Behaviour ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 138 (6) ◽  
pp. 691-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Random Mating ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Male Reproduction ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Mating Pattern ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Site Structure ◽  
Artificial Breeding ◽  
Stegastes Leucostictus

AbstractUsing the Caribbean beaugregory damselfish (Stegastes leucostictus) we tested whether patterns of male reproduction could be modified by reducing differences among males, in this case by giving males identical artificial breeding sites. Previous studies have shown that very few males using the natural small rubble habitat reproduced and variations in male reproductive success were based mainly on the differences in the quality of their natural breeding sites. By providing males with identical artificial breeding sites, we tested whether females would be less likely to confine their reproduction to only a few of the available males. We examined male reproductive patterns by first simulating females choosing males (1) 'randomly,' (i.e. the number of males that receive eggs is based on each female randomly choosing a mate from a group of males), or (2) 'exclusively' (i.e. only one female mates with one male on a given day), or (3) 'highly selectively' (i.e. this is the typical polygynous pattern in which many females select the same few males). We tested these simulations against the actual daily amounts of eggs deposited and the number of different males that received eggs in each of 4 summers. Although the regression trend line from the daily patterns did resemble the Random Mating Pattern, egg clutches were more widely dispersed than random but less dispersed than the Exclusive Mating Pattern. That is, with more females mating on a particular day, more males received eggs. We speculated that this might have resulted from females aggressively excluding other females from mating with the same male on a given day. In contrast, males using the variable quality natural sites rarely mated and those that did receive eggs, received them in larger amounts than males using the artificial sites. Thus, for natural sites, more females seemed to be mating with the same few males. Perhaps for these natural sites any intra-female aggression may have been ineffective when so few superior spawning sites were available. For males using the artificial sites, the total amount of eggs received over a two-month period was nonrandom and resembled the 'highly selected pattern.' This resulted from some males receiving egg clutches on more days. Other traits, besides breeding site structure, may have been important in causing different females to select the same males on subsequent days.

scholarly journals Micro-environmental features associated to container-dwelling mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in an urban cemetery of the Dominican Republic

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikel A. González ◽  
María Altagracia Rodríguez Sosa ◽  
Yohan Enmanuel Vásquez Bautista ◽  
Lorenzo Diéguez Fernández ◽  
Miguel Borge de Prada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Immature Stages ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Culex Nigripalpus ◽  
Ecological Variables ◽  
Artificial Breeding ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Surveillance Programs

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are important vectors of diverse pathogenic organisms, particularly arboviruses and protozoa. The immature stages of mosquitoes occur in a wide range of natural or human-made aquatic habitats. On this basis, some anthropogenic places such as cemeteries, usually serve as thrive and productive artificial-breeding habitats for mosquitoes. Despite being important foci for vector species, urban cemeteries are frequently overlooked in control and surveillance programs. This study evaluates the association of ecological variables and attributes (type of material, presence of flowers, water availability and height from the ground) of the breeding sites with the levels of infestation of mosquito immature stages. In 2017, an entire urban cemetery in Jarabacoa (Dominican Republic) was sampled at two different climatic periods (March: dry and August: rainy) for the characterization of the artificial breeding-sites, collection of immature stages of culicids and subsequent laboratory rearing for species identification. In total 968 containers were studied, containing 7 758 immature stages in 203 (21.0 %) water-filled containers which accounted for four species: Culex quinquefasciatus (50.5 %), Aedes aegypti (47.1 %), Aedes albopictus (1.9 %) and Culex nigripalpus (0.4 %). The mean of A. aegypti immatures in infested containers was roughly two times higher compared to C. quinquefasciatus and significantly lower compared to A. albopictus. The total Container Index (CI) was 20.9 %, and among the type of materials, those made from rock (cement, ceramic, and mud) and plastic had the highest CI = 25.9 % and 23.4 %, respectively. Almost 95 % of the total infested water-filled containers were made of plastic or rock. No association was found between the type of material of the containers and the density of mosquitoes. However, overall, greater densities of immature stages were found at ground than at higher levels. A weak positive correlation between water volume and density was found in some species of immature stages. Significantly higher number of C. quinquefasciatus were recorded in containers with flowers and large water volume. In contrast, A. aegypti immature stages were more frequent in containers without flowers. A weak negative association between water volume and infestations was found for A. albopictus immatures. As reflected of their opportunistic behaviour and broad ecological plasticity, Culex spp. and Aedes spp. mosquitoes were abundant pests in cemetery habitats where were able to breed in almost any kind of water-filled container regardless the type of material. However, our study showed that some ecological variables have critical impact for the development of the immature stages of some species. The health authorities and cemetery keepers can benefit from these results by focusing on the implementation of detailed plans and integrated strategies for the control and prevention of cemetery infestations by mosquitoes.

scholarly journals Semi-field assessment of the Gravid Aedes Trap (GAT) with the aim of controlling Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti populations

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0250893
Author(s):  
Alvaro E. Eiras ◽  
Laila H. Costa ◽  
Luciane G. Batista-Pereira ◽  
Kelly S. Paixão ◽  
Elis P. A. Batista
Keyword(s):  
Field Studies ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Trapping Efficiency ◽  
Mass Trapping ◽  
Source Reduction ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Artificial Breeding ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Simulated Field ◽  
Bg Sentinel

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the main vector of arboviroses and current approaches to control this vector are not sufficiently effective. Adult traps, such as the BG-Sentinel (BGS), have been successfully used for mosquito surveillance and can also suppress vector populations. A new “passive” trap for gravid Ae. aegypti (Gravid Aedes Trap—GAT) has been shown efficient for Aedes collection and suppress Ae. albopictus populations using mass trapping techniques. Here the GAT was evaluated for the first time as a new tool to control Ae. aegypti in semi-field conditions using simulated outdoor environments (SOE). Two identical large screened chambers inside of a SOE containing different numbers and sizes of artificial breeding sites were used to assess the trapping efficiency of the GAT. One hundred mosquitoes were released into the chambers, and recapture rates evaluated after 48h. The parity status of the captured mosquitoes was also recorded. The number of eggs laid, and breeding productivity were also monitored when using different numbers and sizes of breeding sites. The BGS trap was used here as a control (gold standard) trap to compare capture rates to those of the GAT. The GAT recaptured between 50–65% of the mosquitoes independent of the number and sizes of the breeding sites in the SOEs, whereas the BGS recaptured 60–82% of the females. Both traps showed similar results regarding to the parity status of recaptured mosquitoes. Our results confirmed the effectiveness of GAT for the capture of adult female Ae. aegypti in simulated field environments. The BGS trap recaptured gravid Ae. aegypti before egg-laying in different sizes and number of breading sites, whereas the oviposition activity occurred prior to recapture mosquitoes in the GAT. Based on the results, we believe that GAT is a promising candidate for mass-trapping intervention in urban settings, but a source reduction intervention should be made prior trap deployment. Therefore, we suggest future field studies to confirm the use of GAT as a complementary tool in vector control activities.

Efficacy and persistence of Bacillus thuringiensis svar. israelensis (Bti) and pyriproxyfen-based products in artificial breeding sites colonized with susceptible or Bti-exposed Aedes aegypti larvae

2020 ◽  
Vol 151 ◽  
pp. 104400
Author(s):  
Mitsue Maia Nakazawa ◽  
Ana Paula Araújo ◽  
Maria Alice Varjal Melo-Santos ◽  
Cláudia Maria Fontes Oliveira ◽  
Maria Helena Neves Lobo Silva-Filha
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Artificial Breeding

scholarly journals Demography, breeding success and effects of nest type in artificial colonies of Red-footed Falcons and allies

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
László Kotymán ◽  
Szabolcs Solt ◽  
Éva Horváth ◽  
Péter Palatitz ◽  
Péter Fehérvári
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Nesting Success ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Artificial Nests ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Artificial Breeding ◽  
Nest Type

Abstract Shortage of breeding sites is an important limiting factor of bird populations. Artificial breeding platforms, nest-boxes or man-made twig nests often present solutions with remarkable results, however long-term sustainability of these populations remains to be resolved. Furthermore, the question whether the inference of results of studies conducted on birds breeding in artificial breeding sites can be generalized to other populations, still remains open. Here we present the history, and the results of a 20 year old (1995-2015) nest-box programme initiated to increase potential breeding possibilities of Red-footed Falcons in an area, where nest-site shortage was a severe limiting factor. We show how various other species (Jackdaws, Kestrels and Long-eared Owls) have utilized these resources, and present descriptive statistics on their reproductive performance. Analysing the data of a total of 1432 breeding attempts, we show that Red-footed Falcons have similar clutch sizes, and nesting success (i.e. ratio of nests with at least on fledgling), however fledging success (ratio of the number of eggs/fledged nestlings) was different in artificial nest-boxes. When we excluded closed box types from artificial nests, this difference was not apparent. In case of Kestrels (n=1626 breeding attempts) clutch size was significantly higher in artificial nests, while we found no difference in fledging or nesting success. When only comparing open boxes to natural nests, the difference in clutch size was no longer significant. We also analysed the effect of nest box design on reproductive parameters of the two species using regression trees. Inter annual effects were the most important in shaping clutch size and fledging rate of both falcon species, however we also found nest-box design effects, but only in Red-footed Falcons. In years when mean clutch size was high, these birds had lower clutch size in an older, darker nest-box type compared to an alternative design, and to open boxes. However, fledging rate in the same years was lower for both open boxes and older nest-boxes. We conclude that artificial colonies are an important and successful tool in Red-footed Falcon conservation, and that the breeding parameters measured in artificial colonies depend on nest-box design. We present correlative evidence that closed boxes have a significant positive species specific effect on reproduction, probably due to their protection against weather. We also show that birds may have a preference for a certain nest-box design, and that the breeding success in the less favoured box type may be similar to that in open nests. We recommend that future studies incorporate nest-type and nest-box design effects in all comparisons made on reproductive performance in case of Red-footed Falcons and Kestrels.

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