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Research Project: IPM Method for Control of Insect Pests and Transmitted Diseases of Orchard Crops

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Title: Cross-infectivity of Vorticella sp. across genera of mosquitoes for development of biological mosquito control strategies

Author
item DURDEN, SHELBY - University Of Florida
item CRUZ, ANTHONY - University Of Florida
item Hunter, Wayne
item DEBBOUN, MUSTAPHA - Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services
item DUGUMA, DAGNE - Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services

Submitted to: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/18/2024
Publication Date: 2/3/2024
Citation: Durden, S., Cruz, A., Hunter, W.B., Debboun, M., Duguma, D. 2024. Cross-infectivity of Vorticella sp. across genera of mosquitoes for development of biological mosquito control strategies. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2024.108064.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2024.108064

Interpretive Summary: A small Protozoan organism called Vorticella is a protist in the Phylum Ciliophora. Found in aquatic habitats these small protists attach themselves to the surface of mosquito larvae as parasites. A survey in Florida identified a significantly greater number (74%) of southern house mosquito larvae had greater numbers of attached Vorticella parasites compared to 52% observed in the Florida Saint Louis Encephalitis mosquito. These surface parasites also cause increased mortality of larvae providing a new strategy to reduce mosquito populations. Vorticella infestations warrant further investigations for potential biological control agents to suppress mosquito populations.

Technical Abstract: Vorticella is a genus of ciliates, a Protozoan in the Phylum Ciliophora, that are commonly found in aquatic habitats in association with mosquito larvae. Researchers in Florida identified a specific Vorticella parasite that was on a significantly greater number (74%) of mosquito larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus compared to a 52% parasitization rate observed in the mosquito Culex nigripalpus (P=0.037). Some Vorticella appear to show host specificity and may provide a new strategy to reduce mosquito populations. The apparent host specificity effects of the Vorticella species studied thus far, target mosquitoes in the genus Culex. These findings support further investigations into using mosquito-species-specific Vorticella infestations as effective biological control agents.