Seasonal haemosporidian detection in mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and their interactions with vertebrate hosts in a Mexican cloud forest.

Studies on avian haemosporidians in Mexico and around the world reveal poor knowledge about the vectors that transmit avian haemosporidian parasites and their association with vertebrate hosts. Seasonal variations given by changes in temperature and precipitation have significant repercussions on the dynamics of vector-borne infections. The seasonal dynamics of major haemosporidian parasites and their main vectors are mostly unknown.

Bot fly parasitism in mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata): General patterns and climate influences.

Parasitism is a strong selective pressure, and its study is crucial for predicting the persistence of host species. Mantled howler monkeys are infected by the larvae of the bot fly Cuterebra baeri. This parasitosis produces myiasis and may have negative impacts on host health, although systematic information on the dynamics of this host-parasite relationship is very limited.

The influence of humidity and temperature on the vertical richness and abundance of blood-sucking flies (Culicidae and Ceratopogonidae) in a montane cloud forest in Mexico.

Because the vertical distribution and diversity of blood-sucking flies are poorly known, we determined the diversity, structure, and composition of culicids between vertical vegetation strata. We evaluated the influence of microclimatic variables during different times of the day over a year. We used eight CDC traps baited with CO at a height of 1.

Phylogenetic relations among Mexican phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) and their divergence time estimation.

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) have biological relevance as vectors of several pathogens. To ensure periodic entomological monitoring it is necessary to have efficient and accurate tools for an adequate taxonomic identification. There are only few studies on phylogenetic analyses of phlebotomine sand flies from Neotropics, based mostly on morphological and/or molecular data, which makes the delimitation of intra- and interspecific variability of species challenging.

An updated catalogue of biting midges of the genus Latreille, 1809 (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) of Mexico and their known distribution by state.

An updated catalogue of of Mexico is presented. It includes 86 species with their regional distribution and corresponding record references, known immature stages and associated pathogens. In addition, a taxonomic key for subgenera and species groups for Mexico is presented and an index of species by state is included.

Trichoprosopon mixtli sp. nov., a new sabethine species (Diptera: Culicidae) from a Mexican cloud forest, with an assessment of the genus and keys for the identification of known species.

The genus Trichoprosopon Theobald, 1901 includes 13 described species in the Neotropical Region, three of which have been recorded in Mexico. In this work, a new species, Trichoprosopon mixtli sp. nov.

The larva, pupa, and female and male genitalia of Aedes (Howardina) guatemala Berlin, 1969 (Diptera: Culicidae).

Aedes (Howardina) guatemala Berlin, 1969 was recently recorded in Mexico. Based on material collected in Chiapas State, the larva, pupa, and female and male genitalia of this species are described for the first time.

Integrated Approaches for the Identification of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from the Volcanoes of Central America Physiographic Subprovince of the State of Chiapas, Mexico.

Nowadays, there is a lack of information on the mosquito's fauna and DNA barcoding sequence reference library from many areas in Mexico, including the Volcanoes of Central America physiographic subprovince in the state of Chiapas. Consequently, a survey was undertaken to delineate the mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) fauna in this region across different seasons using different collecting techniques. All species were identified by morphology and DNA barcoding, and their ecological features were also defined.

Landscape Anthropization Affects Mosquito Diversity in a Deciduous Forest in Southeastern Mexico.

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are considered the group of insects that most impacts human health. Land use change, conversion of conserved sites into agricultural environments, urbanization, defaunation, and introduction of domestic animals can affect mosquito diversity positively or negatively, increasing the risk of transmission of zoonotic diseases. Here, we describe the diversity of adult mosquitoes in two environments (deciduous forest and anthropized zone) over 2 yr (2014-2016), using eight CDC traps at each site in three climatic seasons (rainy, cold, and dry).

A new species of Bithoracochaeta Stein (Diptera: Muscidae) with comments on Mexican species of the genus and their implication as possible biocontrol agents for greenhouses pests.

A new species of Bithoracochaeta Stein, 1911 (Diptera, Muscidae), Bithoracochaeta couriae sp. nov., is described and illustrated.

Bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) of phyllostomid bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) from the mountainous central region of Veracruz, Mexico.

The studies of bat flies of the family Streblidae Kolenati, 1863 in Mexico have intensified in the last five years, usually providing new geographical records of species and new bats host records. Currently, the Mexican fauna of streblids is composed of 59 species, representing 26% of total global species richness. Veracruz is one of the states with a high number of species in Mexico with 69% of species recorded in the country.

Description of the pupa and additional characters of the fourth-instar larva, female, and male genitalia of Uranotaenia (Uranotaenia) coatzacoalcos Dyar amp; Knab, with keys for the identification of Mexican species of Uranotaenia (Diptera: Culicidae).

Eleven species of Uranotaenia, one belonging to the subgenus Pseudoficalbia and ten to the subgenus Uranotaenia, have been recorded in Mexico. In general, two species are commonly recorded in urban areas by the vector surveillance programs, but the other species are rarely collected as they occupy habitats in non-anthropized environments, and for that reason they remain poorly known. Some of the species recorded in Mexico have not been described in the pupal stage and other developmental stages have only been partially described, making their recognition difficult.

Notes on the Toxorhynchites of Mexico: redescription of Tx. moctezuma (Dyar amp; Knab) and new record for Tx. grandiosus (Williston) in Veracruz (Diptera: Culicidae).

Description of the pupa and redescriptions of the larva, female, male and male genitalia of Toxorhynchites (Lynchiella) moctezuma (Dyar Knab) are presented based on specimens from Mexico, providing information that helps to distinguish this species from other species within the subgenus Lynchiella. Additionally, we report the first finding of Tx. (Lyn.

DNA barcoding and fauna of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) from Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico.

Mexico has great diversity of phlebotomine sand flies related to cases of leishmaniasis, yet few studies have dressed the molecular taxonomy of these sand fly species. The use of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene, as a DNA Barcode has facilitated the molecular identification of sand flies species worldwide. We use the DNA barcode as a useful tool for the identification of phlebotomine sand flies of the natural reserve Los Tuxtlas from Veracruz, México.

Management of ecosystems alters vector dynamics and haemosporidian infections.

The presence of insect vectors is a key prerequisite for transmission of vector-borne disease such as avian haemosporidians. In general, the effects of land use change on Diptera vectors are not well studied; the response of vectors to forest management depends on vector species, as has been shown previously for the birds. We tested if abundance of insects from different Diptera families and haemosporidian infection are affected through alteration of habitat structural variables (measured by LiDAR) and forest management intensities.

Description of the pupa of Culex (Culex) bidens Dyar (Diptera: Culicidae).

The pupa of Culex (Culex) bidens Dyar is described based on specimens from Mexico. The pupa is compared with the pupae of Culex (Culex) declarator Dyar Knab and Culex (Culex) interfor Dyar, similar species which are easily confused with Culex bidens.

Comprehensive inventory of true flies (Diptera) at a tropical site.

Estimations of tropical insect diversity generally suffer from lack of known groups or faunas against which extrapolations can be made, and have seriously underestimated the diversity of some taxa. Here we report the intensive inventory of a four-hectare tropical cloud forest in Costa Rica for one year, which yielded 4332 species of Diptera, providing the first verifiable basis for diversity of a major group of insects at a single site in the tropics. In total 73 families were present, all of which were studied to the species level, providing potentially complete coverage of all families of the order likely to be present at the site.

The mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of Hidalgo state, Mexico.

In order to document the species richness of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and their distributions in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, collecting trips were conducted to all physiographic regions (Coastal Plain of North Gulf, Sierra Madre Oriental, and Neo-volcanic Axis) and subregions of the state. Additionally, mosquito specimens from Hidalgo deposited in the Collection of Arthropods of Medical Importance (CAIM) were reexamined. A total of 3225 specimens were collected and studied and an additional 69 pinned mosquitoes and 15 microscope slides in CAIM were examined.

Remarkable fly (Diptera) diversity in a patch of Costa Rican cloud forest: Why inventory is a vital science.

Study of all flies (Diptera) collected for one year from a four-hectare (150 x 266 meter) patch of cloud forest at 1,600 meters above sea level at Zurquí de Moravia, San José Province, Costa Rica (hereafter referred to as Zurquí), revealed an astounding 4,332 species. This amounts to more than half the number of named species of flies for all of Central America. Specimens were collected with two Malaise traps running continuously and with a wide array of supplementary collecting methods for three days of each month.

() sp. nov., a new Phlebotominae sand fly from Mexico (Diptera, Psychodidae).

Micropygomyia (Coquillettimyia) nahua sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on male and female characteristics.

How will climate change pathways and mitigation options alter incidence of vector-borne diseases? A framework for leishmaniasis in South and Meso-America.

The enormous global burden of vector-borne diseases disproportionately affects poor people in tropical, developing countries. Changes in vector-borne disease impacts are often linked to human modification of ecosystems as well as climate change. For tropical ecosystems, the health impacts of future environmental and developmental policy depend on how vector-borne disease risks trade off against other ecosystem services across heterogeneous landscapes.

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.