A chromosomal reference genome sequence for the malaria mosquito, , Theobald, 1903.

We present a genome assembly from an individual female (the malaria mosquito; Arthropoda; Insecta; Diptera; Culicidae) from Lopé, Gabon. The genome sequence is 225.7 megabases in span.

Chromosomal reference genome sequences for the malaria mosquito, , Laveran, 1900.

We present genome assembly from individual female (African malaria mosquito; Arthropoda; Insecta; Diptera; Culicidae) from Lopé, Gabon. The genome sequence is 270 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into three chromosomal pseudomolecules with the X sex chromosome assembled for both species.

Host preference patterns in domestic and wild settings: Insights into feeding behavior.

The adaptation of malaria vectors to domestic settings is directly linked to their ability to feed on humans. The strength of this species-habitat association is unequal across the species within the genus, with the major vectors being particularly dependent on humans. However, our understanding of how blood-feeding behavior interacts with and adapts to environmental settings, including the presence of humans, remains limited.

Genomic Signatures of Microgeographic Adaptation in Along an Anthropogenic Gradient in Gabon.

Unlabelled: Species distributed across heterogeneous environments often evolve locally adapted populations, but understanding how these persist in the presence of homogenizing gene flow remains puzzling. In Gabon, a major African malaria mosquito is found along an ecological gradient, including a sylvatic population, away of any human presence. This study identifies into the genomic signatures of local adaptation in populations from distinct environments including the urban area of Libreville, and two proximate sites 10km apart in the La Lopé National Park (LLP), a village and its sylvatic neighborhood.

Limited association between and infections in natural populations of the major malaria mosquito .

Since the discovery of natural malaria vector populations infected by the endosymbiont bacterium , a renewed interest has arisen for using this bacterium as an alternative for malaria control. Among naturally infected mosquitoes, , a major malaria mosquito in Central Africa, exhibits one of the highest prevalences of infection. To better understand whether this maternally inherited bacterium could be used for malaria control, we investigated influence in populations naturally infected by the malaria parasite .

Monitoring mosquito richness in an understudied area: can environmental DNA metabarcoding be a complementary approach to adult trapping?

Mosquito surveillance programmes are essential to assess the risks of local vector-borne disease outbreaks as well as for early detection of mosquito invasion events. Surveys are usually performed with traditional sampling tools (i.e.

Diversity and phylogeny of the tick-borne bacterial genus Candidatus Allocryptoplasma (Anaplasmataceae).

The family Anaplasmataceae includes tick-borne bacteria of major public and veterinary health interest, as best illustrated by members of the genera Anaplasma and Ehrlichia. Recent epidemiological surveys have also reported on the presence of a novel putative genus in the Anaplasmataceae, Candidatus Allocryptoplasma, previously described as Candidatus Cryptoplasma in the western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus. However, the genetic diversity of Ca.

Survey of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in wild chimpanzee habitat in Western Uganda.

Background: Ticks and tick-borne pathogens significantly impact both human and animal health and therefore are of major concern to the scientific community. Knowledge of tick-borne pathogens is crucial for prescription of mitigation measures. In Africa, much research on ticks has focused on domestic animals.

Citizen Science as an Approach for Responding to the Threat of in Africa.

Even as novel technologies emerge and medicines advance, pathogen-transmitting mosquitoes pose a deadly and accelerating public health threat. Detecting and mitigating the spread of in Africa is now critical to the fight against malaria, as this invasive mosquito poses urgent and unprecedented risks to the continent. Unlike typical African vectors of malaria, breeds in both natural and artificial water reservoirs, and flourishes in urban environments.

High-resolution species assignment of mosquitoes using -mer distances on targeted sequences.

The ANOSPP amplicon panel is a genus-wide targeted sequencing panel to facilitate large-scale monitoring of species diversity. Combining information from the 62 nuclear amplicons present in the ANOSPP panel allows for a more senstive and specific species assignment than single gene (e.g.

Assessment of expertise in morphological identification of mosquito species (Diptera, Culicidae) using photomicrographs.

Accurate identification of insect species is an indispensable and challenging requirement for every entomologist, particularly if the species is involved in disease outbreaks. The European MediLabSecure project designed an identification (ID) exercise available to any willing participant with the aim of assessing and improving knowledge in mosquito taxonomy. The exercise was based on high-definition photomicrographs of mosquitoes (26 adult females and 12 larvae) collected from the western Palaearctic.

Diurnal biting of malaria mosquitoes in the Central African Republic indicates residual transmission may be "out of control".

Malaria control interventions target nocturnal feeding of the Anopheles vectors indoors to reduce parasite transmission. Mass deployment of insecticidal bed nets and indoor residual spraying with insecticides, however, may induce mosquitoes to blood-feed at places and at times when humans are not protected. These changes can set a ceiling to the efficacy of these control interventions, resulting in residual malaria transmission.

Using a pupal exuvia to designate the undamaged neotype of a species belonging to a complex of sibling species - the case of Aedes coluzzii (Diptera, Culicidae).

The mosquito species Aedes (Ochlerotatus) coluzzii Rioux, Guilvard & Pasteur, 1998 was distinguished from its sibling species Aedes detritus (Haliday, 1833) using an isoenzymatic method that required the destruction of the entire specimen, therefore no holotype was designated by the species authors. We aimed to designate a neotype for Ae. coluzzii from specimens collected from the type-locality and individually reared up to adult stage.

Larval habitat determines the bacterial and fungal microbiota of the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti.

Mosquito larvae are naturally exposed to microbial communities present in a variety of larval development sites. Several earlier studies have highlighted that the larval habitat influences the composition of the larval bacterial microbiota. However, little information is available on their fungal microbiota, i.

Taxonomical insights and ecology of sandfly (Diptera, Psychodidae) species in six provinces of Northern Vietnam.

We studied sandfly (Diptera: Psychodidae) populations in six provinces of Vietnam. This work explores the diversity of sandfly species according to the province, as well as environment, and updated information on public health since leishmaniasis cases were reported in two provinces. Sandflies were collected using 428 CDC light traps from May 30 to October 13, 2016 and identified based on the morphology of the cibarium, pharynx and/or male genitalia or female spermathecae.

Checklist of the mosquito fauna (Diptera, Culicidae) of Cambodia.

Between 2016 and 2020, the Medical and Veterinary Entomology unit of the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge collected over 230,000 mosquitoes. Based on this sampling effort, a checklist of 290 mosquito species in Cambodia is presented. This is the first attempt to list the Culicidae fauna of the country.

Ecological plasticity to ions concentration determines genetic response and dominance of Anopheles coluzzii larvae in urban coastal habitats of Central Africa.

In Central Africa, the malaria vector Anopheles coluzzii is predominant in urban and coastal habitats. However, little is known about the environmental factors that may be involved in this process. Here, we performed an analysis of 28 physicochemical characteristics of 59 breeding sites across 5 urban and rural sites in coastal areas of Central Africa.

Altitude and hillside orientation shapes the population structure of the Leishmania infantum vector Phlebotomus ariasi.

Despite their role in Leishmania transmission, little is known about the organization of sand fly populations in their environment. Here, we used 11 previously described microsatellite markers to investigate the population genetic structure of Phlebotomus ariasi, the main vector of Leishmania infantum in the region of Montpellier (South of France). From May to October 2011, we captured 1,253 Ph.

Genetic structure of the mosquito Aedes aegypti in local forest and domestic habitats in Gabon and Kenya.

Background: The mosquito Aedes aegypti is a devastating disease vector transmitting several important human arboviral diseases. In its native range in Africa, the mosquito can be found in both the ancestral forest habitat and anthropogenic habitats such as villages. How do the different habitats impact the population genetic structure of the local mosquito populations?

Methods: To address this question, we simultaneously sampled Ae.

Microbial community structure reveals instability of nutritional symbiosis during the evolutionary radiation of Amblyomma ticks.

Mutualistic interactions with microbes have facilitated the adaptation of major eukaryotic lineages to restricted diet niches. Hence, ticks with their strictly blood-feeding lifestyle are associated with intracellular bacterial symbionts through an essential B vitamin supplementation. In this study, examination of bacterial diversity in 25 tick species of the genus Amblyomma showed that three intracellular bacteria, Coxiella-like endosymbionts (LE), Francisella-LE and Rickettsia, are remarkably common.

A new species in the major malaria vector complex sheds light on reticulated species evolution.

Complexes of closely related species provide key insights into the rapid and independent evolution of adaptive traits. Here, we described and studied Anopheles fontenillei sp.n.

Natural infections are common in the major malaria vectors in Central Africa.

During the last decade, the endosymbiont bacterium has emerged as a biological tool for vector disease control. However, for long time, it was believed that was absent in natural populations of . The recent discovery that species within the complex host in natural conditions has opened new opportunities for malaria control research in Africa.

Diversity and Ecology of Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae), Potential Vectors of Leishmania in the Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam.

The study aims to make an update on the distribution and ecology of sand flies in the Quang Ninh province, Northern Vietnam, where Leishmania cases were reported in 2001. Seventeen sites were chosen in three districts of the province: Ha Long, Cam Pha, and Hoanh Bo. Phlebotomine sand flies were collected using 68 CDC light traps from May 30 to 3 June 2016.

Characterization and comparison of poorly known moth communities through DNA barcoding in two Afrotropical environments in Gabon .

Biodiversity research in tropical ecosystems-popularized as the most biodiverse habitats on Earth-often neglects invertebrates, yet invertebrates represent the bulk of local species richness. Insect communities in particular remain strongly impeded by both Linnaean and Wallacean shortfalls, and identifying species often remains a formidable challenge inhibiting the use of these organisms as indicators for ecological and conservation studies. Here we use DNA barcoding as an alternative to the traditional taxonomic approach for characterizing and comparing the diversity of moth communities in two different ecosystems in Gabon.