Insects (2021) 12 (3 - 215)

Lilian de Oliveira Guimarães, Roseli França Simões, Carolina Romeiro Fernandes Chagas, Regiane Maria Tironi de Menezes, Fabiana Santos Silva, Eliana Ferreira Monteiro, Marcia Moreira Holcman, Miklos Maximiliano Bajay, Adriano Pinter, Vera Lucia Fonseca de Camargo-Neves and Karin Kirchgatter (2021)
Assessing diversity, plasmodium infection and blood meal sources in mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from a Brazilian zoological park with avian malaria transmission
Insects 12 (3 - 215)
Abstract: Avian malaria parasites are widespread parasites transmitted by Culicidae insects belonging to different genera. Even though several studies have been conducted recently, there is still a lack of information about potential vectors of Plasmodium parasites, especially in Neotropical regions. Former studies with free-living and captive animals in São Paulo Zoo showed the presence of several Plasmodium and Haemoproteus species. In 2015, a pilot study was conducted at the zoo to collect mosquitoes in order to find out (i) which species of Culicidae are present in the study area, (ii) what are their blood meal sources, and (iii) to which Plasmodium species might they be potential vectors. Mosquitoes were morphologically and molecularly identified. Blood meal source and haemosporidian DNA were identified using molecular protocols. A total of 25 Culicidae species were identified, and 6 of them were positive for Plasmodium/Haemoproteus DNA. Ten mosquito species had their source of blood meal identified, which were mainly birds, including some species that were positive for haemosporidian parasites in the former study mentioned. This study allowed us to expand the list of potential vectors of avian malaria parasites and to improve our knowledge of the evolutionary and ecological relationships between the highly diverse communities of birds, parasites, and vectors present at São Paulo Zoo.
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Database assignments for author(s): Adriano Pinter

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Aedes albopictus		Brazil (south)
	Culex coronator		Brazil (south)
	Culex declarator		Brazil (south)
	Anopheles strodei		Brazil (south)
	Mansonia titillans		Brazil (south)
	Aedes scapularis		Brazil (south)
	Anopheles evansae		Brazil (south)
	Mansonia indubitans		Brazil (south)
	Culex habilitator		Brazil (south)
	Culex bidens		Brazil (south)