Blood-Sucking Flies Feeding on Sheep in Eastern Australia.

1977 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Muller ◽  
MD Murray
Keyword(s):  
Potential Role ◽  
Haemagglutination Inhibition ◽  
Stomoxys Calcitrans ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Blood Sucking ◽  
Culex Annulirostris ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Epidemiological Significance ◽  
Arbovirus Diseases ◽  
Blood Meals

An investigation was undertaken to determine the species of blood-sucking flies which feed on sheep. Engorged insects were collected by a number of methods and their blood meals were identified by precipitin and haemagglutination inhibition tests. Sixteen species of mosquitoes attacked sheep, and of these Anopheles annulipes and Culex annulirostris dominated. Twelve species of biting midges in the genera Culicoides, Leptoconops and Lasiohelea were shown to bite sheep; the dominant species were C. marksi and C. breuitarsis. The simuliid Austrosimulium pestilens and the muscid Stomoxys calcitrans also fed on sheep. Some of these species also fed on other hosts-eight on ox, five on marsupials and one on horse. Four of the most widespread Culicoides species, C. brevitarsis, C. dycei, C. marksi and C. victoriae, fed on both sheep and ox, a factor of epidemiological significance in their potential role as vectors of arbovirus diseases of livestock.

Blood-Sucking Midges and Mosquitoes Feeding on Mammals at Beatrice Hill, N.T.

1981 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 573 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Muller ◽  
MD Murray ◽  
JA Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Blood Meal ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Haemagglutination Inhibition ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Light Traps ◽  
Intensive Study ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Blood Sucking ◽  
Collection Methods ◽  
Blood Meals

One aspect of an intensive study of arboviruses and insect vectors at Beatrice Hill, N.T., was to determine the hosts of the insects by identifying the source of their blood meal. The collection methods included buffalo bait, calf- and chicken-baited Magoon traps, truck traps, light traps and collecting from insect resting places. Blood meals were identified by precipitin and haemagglutination-inhibition tests. Fifteen species of biting midges, mostly Culicoides spp., and 24 species of mosquitoes were represented in the collections, and the blood meals within 75% of some 11,000 insects were identified. The majority, 97.7%, of the blood meals were mammalian in origin, 76% being bovine and 17% marsupial. A significant proportion of the blood-fed mosquitoes from Magoon traps had fed on hosts other than the bait animal or collector. Double feeds were detected in 1.1% of the insects in which the source of the blood meal was identified. It was possible to draw conclusions about the feeding habits of most of the insect species.

scholarly journals Susceptibility of Midge and Mosquito Vectors to SARS-CoV-2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Velmurugan Balaraman ◽  
Barbara S Drolet ◽  
Natasha N Gaudreault ◽  
William C Wilson ◽  
Jeana Owens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Lines ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Culex Tarsalis ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Bacterial Diseases ◽  
Culicoides Sonorensis ◽  
Insect Cell Lines ◽  
Intrathoracic Inoculation

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 is a recently emerged, highly contagious virus and the cause of the current COVID-19 pandemic. It is a zoonotic virus, although its animal origin is not clear yet. Person-to-person transmission occurs by inhalation of infected droplets and aerosols, or by direct contact with contaminated fomites. Arthropods transmit numerous viral, parasitic, and bacterial diseases; however, the potential role of arthropods in SARS-CoV-2 transmission is not fully understood. Thus far, a few studies have demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 replication is not supported in cells from certain insect species nor in certain species of mosquitoes after intrathoracic inoculation. In this study, we expanded the work of SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility to biting insects after ingesting a SARS-CoV-2-infected bloodmeal. Species tested included Culicoides sonorensis (Wirth & Jones) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) biting midges, as well as Culex tarsalis (Coquillett) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), all known biological vectors for numerous RNA viruses. Arthropods were allowed to feed on SARS-CoV-2-spiked blood and at a time point postinfection analyzed for the presence of viral RNA and infectious virus. Additionally, cell lines derived from C. sonorensis (W8a), Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Culicidae) (C6/36), Cx. quinquefasciatus (HSU), and Cx. tarsalis (CxTrR2) were tested for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility. Our results indicate that none of the biting insects, nor the insect cell lines evaluated support SARS-CoV-2 replication, suggesting that these species are unable to be biological vectors of SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals New records, a completed list and identification key of mites (Acari) associated with the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae)

Acarologia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-11
Author(s):  
Jenő Kontschán ◽  
Sándor Hornok
Keyword(s):  
First Record ◽  
Mite Species ◽  
Identification Key ◽  
Stomoxys Calcitrans ◽  
Stable Fly ◽  
Stable Flies ◽  
Worldwide Distribution ◽  
Blood Sucking ◽  
The Family ◽  
Medical Importance

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) is a blood-sucking muscid fly species, with a worldwide distribution and high veterinary-medical importance. In this study, four mite species were collected from stable flies in Hungary. One mite species (Trichotrombidium muscarum (Riley, 1878)) from the family Microtrombidiidae was parasitic on the flies, collected in high numbers from their bodies. The other three species were found in small numbers on the flies, which they use only for transportation. The latter included the phoretic female of Pediculaster mesembrinae (Canestrini, 1881) (Acari: Siteroptidae), the phoretic deutonymph of the Halolaelaps sexclavatus (Oudemans, 1902) (Acari: Halolaelapidae) and Macrocheles subbadius (Berlese, 1904) (Acari: Macrochelidae). This is the first record of an association between the stable fly and two mite species (Trichotrombidium muscarum and Halolaelaps sexclavatus). A new, completed list and identification key of known stable fly associated mites are also provided.

scholarly journals Host Associations Of Biting Midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae: Culicoides) Near Sentinel Chicken Surveillance Locations In Florida, USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin E. Sloyer ◽  
Carolina Acevedo ◽  
Alfred E. Runkel ◽  
Nathan D. Burkett-Cadena
Keyword(s):  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
Host Use ◽  
Culicoides Species ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Total Blood ◽  
Avian Blood ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Arbovirus Surveillance ◽  
Blood Meals

ABSTRACT Quantifying host use is important for understanding transmission of vector-borne pathogens. Despite the importance of biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in pathogen transmission, the vector–host relationships of most Culicoides species are poorly documented, even in locations where active arbovirus surveillance is conducted. Polymerase chain reaction–based blood-meal analysis was performed on 663 blood-engorged Culicoides females collected by 7 Florida mosquito control districts at 24 sentinel chicken arbovirus surveillance sites in 2017. A total of 638 blood meals were successfully analyzed to determine host species source, representing 11 Culicoides species. The most commonly bitten host was domestic chicken (Gallus gallus) (presumably sentinel chickens), constituting 565 of 638 (88.6%) the total blood meals. Other common hosts included humans (5.8%), white-tailed deer (Odoocoileus virginianus) (2.5%), and brown basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus) (1.6%). Significant differences in distribution of mammal and avian blood meals were found for a number of Culicoides species, and these patterns did not vary across locations. These results indicate that sentinel chickens are exposed to bites by Culicoides, potentially exposing them to Culicoides-borne pathogens. The findings that vertebrate host use was consistent across locations suggests that each Culicoides species has affinity for one or more specific animal groups, and does not feed randomly upon available animals.

A scheme for the identification of the blood of Australasian marsupials

1969 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 799 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAW Kirsch ◽  
MD Murray
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Haemagglutination Inhibition ◽  
Inhibition Test ◽  
Haemagglutination Inhibition Test ◽  
Blood Sucking ◽  
The Family ◽  
Precipitin Test ◽  
Marsupial Species

A collection of sera from 81 species of Australasian marsupials and 65 antisera to them, prepared in rabbits, chickens, or various species of marsupials, was examined to devise a scheme to identify the blood of marsupials imbibed by blood-sucking insects. The precipitin test was of limited value but established that the blood was marsupial. With the haemagglutination inhibition test, however, it was possible to identify the family, subfamily, genus, and species. Thus a procedure could be devised to identify the donors' blood based principally on serological methods supplemented by data on the geographical distribution of the various marsupial species.

The Seasonal Abundance of Female Biting-Midges, Culicoides-Brevitarsis Kieffer (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae), in Coastal South-Eastern Australia

1991 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 333 ◽  
Author(s):  
MD Murray
Keyword(s):  
Generation Time ◽  
New South ◽  
Light Trap ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Seasonal Abundance ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Cattle Movements ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Eastern Australia

Daily light-trap collections of female C. brevitarsis were made at three localities along the northern coastal plains of New South Wales. Numbers increased during spring, were maximal in summer, declined during autumn and were minimal in winter. The generation time was about 3-4 weeks in the summer and several cohorts of nulliparous midges, probably representing different generations, were detected from spring to autumn. Some breeding continued throughout the winter. Summer abundance appeared to be associated with high rates of reproduction in late spring or early summer, and this occurred when rainfall was adequate for good pasture growth. Midge survival was better in the summer than in other seasons of the year, and numbers of parous females increased rapidly whenever it rained, probably due to their increased survival and longevity. At each locality, numbers fluctuated throughout spring, summer and autumn, with peaks and troughs of abundance which were often not obviously associated with concurrent climatic conditions or cattle movements.

scholarly journals Identification of the source of blood meals in mosquitoes collected from north-eastern Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Narayan Gyawali ◽  
Andrew W. Taylor-Robinson ◽  
Richard S. Bradbury ◽  
David W. Huggins ◽  
Leon E. Hugo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Blood Meals

scholarly journals Ingestive behaviour and physiology of the medicinal leech

1988 ◽  
Vol 137 (1) ◽  
pp. 513-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. Lent ◽  
K. H. Fliegner ◽  
E. Freedman ◽  
M. H. Dickinson
Keyword(s):  
Body Wall ◽  
Initial Rate ◽  
Medicinal Leech ◽  
The Body ◽  
Meal Size ◽  
Blood Sucking ◽  
Animal Size ◽  
Ingestive Behaviour ◽  
Blood Meals ◽  
Blood Meal Size

Ingestion lasts 25 min in Hirudo medicinalis and is characterized by pharyngeal peristalsis which fills the crop. This peristalsis has an initial rate of 2.4 Hz which decays smoothly to 1.2 Hz at termination of ingestion. During ingestion, the leech body wall undergoes peristalsis which appears to aid in filling the crop diverticula. Body peristalsis begins at a rate of 10 min-1 and decreases linearly to 2 min-1 at termination. The body also undergoes dorsoventral flexions when blood flow is occluded. Blood meal size increases slightly with leech size: 8.4 g for 1-g leeches and 9.7 g for 2-g leeches. However, relative meal size decreases markedly with increasing animal size; from 8.15 times body mass for 1-g to 4.80 times for 2-g leeches. When intact leeches were exposed to micromolar concentrations of serotonin, there was an increase in the rate of pharyngeal peristalsis and the size of the blood meals. Leeches excrete the plasma from their ingested blood meals. Excretion is activated during ingestion, which increases feeding efficiency by increasing the proportion of blood cells in the ingestate. Excretion continues for 4–6 days following ingestion, removing all the remaining plasma from the ingestate. Leech ingestion comprises stereotyped muscular movements, secretion of saliva and excretion of plasma. A strikingly similar feeding physiology is seen in the blood-sucking insect Rhodnius, and we suggest that efficient sanguivory may require the convergent evolution of similar ingestive mechanisms.

scholarly journals Blood meal analysis: host-feeding patterns of biting midges (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae, Culicoides Latreille) in Slovakia

Parasite ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Zuzana Kasičová ◽  
Andrea Schreiberová ◽  
Andrea Kimáková ◽  
Alica Kočišová
Keyword(s):  
Blood Meal ◽  
Lepus Europaeus ◽  
Host Feeding ◽  
Apodemus Flavicollis ◽  
Small Rodents ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Culicoides Obsoletus ◽  
Blood Meal Analysis ◽  
Trophic Preferences ◽  
Blood Meals

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides are vectors of important pathogens affecting domestic and wild animals and have played a major role in the re-emergence of new outbreaks of bluetongue (BTV) and Schmallenberg (SBV) viruses in Europe. To determine vector-host specificity, trophic preference from blood meal analysis is of major importance in the surveillance of arthropod-borne diseases. Of 28,752 specimens collected, we identified 17 Culicoides species and investigated a total of 48 host sequences from the blood meals. Culicoides obsoletus/C. scoticus, C. dewulfi, C. pulicaris, C. lupicaris, C. punctatus, C. newsteadi, C. riethi, and C. furcillatus were found to feed on mammals (cattle, horses, and humans), birds (domestic chickens), small rodents (Apodemus flavicollis), and hares (Lepus europaeus). To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating trophic preferences of Culicoides spp. in Slovakia. This study demonstrated that Culicoides species are able to feed on domesticated host vertebrates as well as birds, rodents, and humans.

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