Black blow fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) bacterial symbionts inform oviposition site selection by stable flies (Diptera: Muscidae).

Larval habitats of blood-feeding stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), overlap with foraging sites of black blow flies, Phormia regina (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). We tested the hypothesis that bacteria in blow fly excreta inform oviposition decisions by female stable flies.

Harmful and Harmless Soil-Dwelling Fungi Indicate Microhabitat Suitability for Off-Host Ixodid Ticks.

Following blood meals or questing bouts, hard ticks (Ixodidae) must locate moist off-host microhabitats as refuge. Soil-dwelling fungi, including entomopathogenic (), thrive in moist microhabitats. Working with six species of ixodid ticks in olfactometer bioassays, we tested the hypothesis that ticks avoid .

Nutritional Challenges among African Refugee and Internally Displaced Children: A Comprehensive Scoping Review.

Background: Children's nutrition in Africa, especially among those displaced by conflicts, is a critical global health concern. Adequate nutrition is pivotal for children's well-being and development, yet those affected by displacement confront distinctive challenges. This scoping review seeks to enhance our current knowledge, filling gaps in understanding nutritional and associated health risks within this vulnerable population.

Effects of macro- and micro-nutrients on momentary and season-long feeding responses by select species of ants.

Few studies have investigated the relative contribution of specific nutrients to momentary and season-long foraging responses by ants. Using western carpenter ants, Camponotus modoc, and European fire ants, Myrmica rubra, as model species, we: (1) tested preferential consumption of various macro- and micro-nutrients; (2) compared consumption of preferred macro-nutrients; (3) investigated seasonal shifts (late May to mid-September) in nutrient preferences; and (4) tested whether nutrient preferences of C. modoc and M.

Blacklegged ticks, , reduce predation risk by eavesdropping on communication signals of thatching ants.

Ticks spend most of their life inhabiting leaf litter and detritus where they are protected from sun but preyed upon by ants. Ants secrete chemical communication signals to coordinate group tasks such as nest defence. Ticks that avoid ant semiochemicals-as indicators of ant presence-would reduce predation risk by ants.

Synergistic attraction of Western black-legged ticks, , to CO and odorant emissions from deer-associated microbes.

Foraging ticks reportedly exploit diverse cues to locate their hosts. Here, we tested the hypothesis that host-seeking Western black-legged ticks, , and black-legged ticks, , respond to microbes dwelling in sebaceous gland secretions of white-tailed deer, , the ticks' preferred host. Using sterile wet cotton swabs, microbes were collected from the pelage of a sedated deer near forehead, preorbital, tarsal, metatarsal and interdigital glands.

Evaluating Maternal Discharge Readiness in Kangaroo Mother Care.

Objective: To develop and apply a tool for measuring hospital discharge readiness of mothers practicing continuous kangaroo mother care (KMC) in a tertiary setting.

Methods: A 22-item questionnaire was adapted from an existing tool. After a pilot (n=20), the survey was administered to 200 mothers in the KMC unit, Kalafong Hospital, South Africa from 2017-2018.