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

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种叮咬蝇家族，即黑蝇、蚊子和叮蠓（也称为“no-see-ums”或“ceratopogonids”）。  作为医学和兽医昆虫学家，我们对作为动物和人类疾病潜在媒介的叮咬苍蝇感兴趣，旨在了解（a）类群之间的系统发育（历史）关系，（b）这些苍蝇的行为生态学和（c）疾病传播。  ***(a) 在下一个资助周期中，我们将研究蚊子属 Culiseta 和 Ceratopogonidae 科内的分类关系。  由于体型较小，角蝽科动物常常被忽视，但它们可能是重要的疾病载体。我们最近在安大略省发现了一种角蜂科物种（Culicoides sonorensis），我们打算评估其分布。 ***(b) 我们将研究黑蝇和蚊子的食糖和食血宿主偏好。 在以糖为食的领域，我们正试图确定为什么如此多的叮咬苍蝇从它们祖先的糖粉、蚜虫蜜露转向以花蜜为食，特别是因为蜜露似乎在飞行性能和保护蚊子免受感染方面是更好的食物。了解吸血宿主的偏好非常重要，这样我们才能知道哪些物种可能是新出现的媒介传播疾病的媒介。  ***(c) 我们拥有最先进的 3 级遏制 (CL3) 实验室和昆虫实验室，我们可以在其中处理活的受感染蚊子。  我们正在对感染西尼罗河病毒的蚊子进行实验，以确定约 12 种西尼罗河病毒检测呈阳性的蚊子的媒介能力。  此外，我们正试图确定为什么有些蚊子是不良媒介，而另一些则是良好媒介。将来，我们还打算测试角蝽属物种的蓝舌病毒（一种致命的牲畜疾病）的媒介能力。***我实验室的工作包括实地研究（收集感兴趣的叮咬苍蝇）、实验室饲养各种媒介物种、不同物种的形态识别、分子条形码和媒介能力研究。**