Bat microfilariae in the cityscape: a transmission tale between bats, mites, and bat flies.

Litomosoides includes filarial nematodes capable of infecting various vertebrate species. While Litomosoides has been extensively studied in rodents, research on its association with bats remains limited. The transmission dynamics of this parasite are complex, involving moving between different invertebrate hosts before reaching the final host.

Abundance and Leishmania infection patterns of the sand fly Psathyromyia cratifer in Southern Mexico.

Background: Localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) is a serious public health problem in Southern Mexico. Six species of Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) have been found to be infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) mexicana, the causative agent of LCL in the region. However, little is known about the biology and potential participation of Psathyromyia cratifer in the Leishmania transmission cycle in Mexico, and the Americas.

A Five-Year Study on Infestation and Abundance of Bat Flies (Hippoboscoidea: Streblidae) Under Severe Dry Season Conditions in the Tropical Dry Forest of Yucatan, Mexico.

In Mexico, few studies have explored how environmental conditions in tropical dry forests (TDF) influence bat fly load even though, according to climate change scenarios, this ecosystem will experience a drier and warmer climate. Such an extension of the dry season in these ecosystems could have dramatic consequences for biodiversity, particularly in regions with plains where animals do not have elevational climate shifts. The present study therefore evaluates the effect of prevailing environmental conditions during 2015-2019, as well as host body conditions, on the infestation and abundance of bat-specific ectoparasites and the composition and bat fly load in the dry season of a TDF in Yucatan.

Viable Leishmania parasites in the absence of an in vitro IFN-γ response in asymptomatic carriers.

Asymptomatic infection (the absence or inapparent signs and symptoms) has been observed in many endemic areas of leishmaniasis, however, little is known about the parasitological and immunological factors associated with this type of infection. This study aimed to identify the in vitro expression of IFN-γ in asymptomatic carriers of viable Leishmania parasites. Asymptomatic infection was identified using the Montenegro skin test in an at-risk population from Yucatan, Mexico.

Morphology variation of Lutzomyia cruciata eggs (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in southern Mexico.

The sand fly Lutzomyia cruciata has been associated with the transmission of Leishmania mexicana to humans in Mexico. This species has a wide distribution in Mexico occupying different microhabitats and environments. In this work comparisons of the egg exochorion of Lu.

The immature stages of Micropygomyia (Coquillettimyia) chiapanensis (Dampf) (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae).

The egg exochorion, larval instars and pupa of the phlebotomine sand fly Micropygomyia (Coquillettimyia) chiapanensis (Dampf) are described and illustrated based on specimens collected in the locality of Farallón, municipality of Actopan, Veracruz, Mexico. Morphology of fourth instar larval mouthparts, particularly the incisor lobe and molar lobe shape of mandible, could be important for species identification of immature Phlebotominae. In this work is compared the pupal chaetotaxy of Mi.

Descriptions of the immature stages of Dampfomyia (Coromyia) beltrani (Vargas & Díaz-Nájera) (Diptera: Psychodidae), with notes on morphology and chaetotaxy nomenclature.

All immature stages of the phlebotomine sandfly Dampfomyia (Coromyia) beltrani (Vargas & Díaz-Nájera) [= Lutzomyia (Coromyia) beltrani, sensu Young & Duncan 1994] are described and illustrated based on reared specimens from founder females collected from the type-locality in Veracruz, Mexico. These represent the first description of egg, and the third of larva instars and pupa of a species of the subgenus Coromyia, only preceded by Da. vespertilionis (Fairchild & Hertig) and Da.