Systematics, Behavioural Ecology and Disease Transmission of Biting Diptera

咬性双翅目的系统学、行为生态学和疾病传播

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-03802
• 负责人: Hunter, Fiona
• 金额: $ 1.89万
• 依托单位: Brock University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=654112
• 关键词: Systematics; Behavioural; Ecology; Disease; Transmission; Systematics; Behavioural; Ecology; Disease; Transmission

My students and I will study three families of biting flies, namely, the black flies, the mosquitoes and the biting midges (also known as "no-see-ums" or "ceratopogonids").  As medical and veterinary entomologists, we are interested in biting flies that are potential vectors of animal and human diseases and aim to understand (a) phylogenetic (historical) relationships among the taxa, (b) behavioural ecology of these flies and (c) disease transmission.  ***(a) In the next granting cycle, we will study taxonomic relationships within the mosquito genus Culiseta, and within the family Ceratopogonidae.  Due to their small size, ceratopogonids are often ignored but they can be important vectors of disease. We have recently discovered that a ceratopogonid species (Culicoides sonorensis) is found in Ontario, and we intend to assess its distribution. ***(b) We will study the sugar-feeding and blood-feeding host preferences of black flies and mosquitoes. In the area of sugar-feeding, we are trying to determine why so many of the biting flies switched from their ancestral sugar-meal, aphid honeydew, to feeding on floral nectar, especially because honeydew seems to be the better meal in terms of flight performance and protecting mosquitoes from infections. Blood-feeding host preferences are important to understand so that we know which species are likely vectors of new emerging vector-borne diseases.  ***(c) We have a State-of-the-Art Containment Level 3 (CL3) laboratory with insectary where we can work with live, infected mosquitoes.  We are conducting experiments on West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes to determine the vector competence of ~12 species that have tested positive for West Nile virus.  Furthermore, we are trying to determine why some mosquitoes are poor vectors and others are good vectors. In the future, we also intend to test ceratopogonid species for vector competence of Bluetongue virus, a deadly livestock disease.***Work in my lab involves a combination of field research (collecting the biting flies of interest), laboratory rearing of various vector species, morphological identification of different species, molecular barcoding and vector competence studies.**

我和我的学生将研究三个咬蝇的家庭，即黑苍蝇，蚊子和咬人的米斯（也称为“ no-see-ums”或“ ceratopogogonids”）。作为医学和兽医昆虫学家，我们有兴趣咬蝇，这些苍蝇是动物和人类疾病的潜在媒介，并旨在了解（a）分类单元之间的系统发育（历史）关系，（b）这些苍蝇的行为生态学和（c）疾病传播。 ***（a）在下一个授予周期中，我们将研究蚊子属内部和Ceratopogonidae家族中的分类学关系。由于它们的尺寸很小，因此通常会忽略Ceratopogonid，但它们可能是疾病的重要媒介。我们最近发现，在安大略省发现了一种Ceratopogonid物种（Culicoides sorensis），我们打算评估其分布。 ***（b）我们将研究黑苍蝇和蚊子的糖进食和进食寄血的偏好。在进食糖的区域，我们正在尝试确定为什么这么多咬蝇从祖先的糖粉蚜虫蜜糖转变为以花蜜为食的，尤其是因为蜜糖似乎是飞行性能和保护蚊子的更好的餐点，并保护了蚊子。流血宿主的偏好对于理解很重要，因此我们知道哪些物种可能是新的新兴载体疾病的媒介。 ***（c）我们有一个最先进的遏制级别3（CL3）实验室，并具有隔热材料，我们可以在其中与活的，感染的蚊子一起工作。我们正在对西尼罗河病毒感染的蚊子进行实验，以确定〜12种对西尼罗河病毒呈阳性的矢量能力。此外，我们正在尝试确定为什么有些蚊子是较差的媒介，而另一些蚊子则是良好的媒介。将来，我们还打算测试ceratopogonid物种的蓝牙病毒的矢量能力，这是一种致命的牲畜疾病。