RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Southeast Brazil has recently experienced a Yellow Fever virus (YFV) outbreak where the mosquito Haemagogus leucocelaenus was a primary vector. Climatic factors influence the abundance of mosquito vectors and arbovirus transmission. OBJECTIVES: We aimed at describing the population dynamics of Hg. leucocelaenus in a county touched by the recent YFV outbreak. METHODS: Fortnightly egg collections with ovitraps were performed from November 2012 to February 2017 in a forest in Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The effects of mean temperature and rainfall on the Hg. leucocelaenus population dynamics were explored. FINDINGS: Hg. leucocelaenus eggs were continuously collected throughout the study, with a peak in the warmer months (December-March). The climatic variables had a time-lagged effect and four weeks before sampling was the best predictor for the positivity of ovitraps and total number of eggs collected. The probability of finding > 50% positive ovitraps increased when the mean temperature was above 24ºC. The number of Hg. leucocelaenus eggs expressively increase when the mean temperature and accumulated precipitation surpassed 27ºC and 100 mm, respectively, although the effect of rainfall was less pronounced. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring population dynamics of Hg. leucocelaenus and climatic factors in YFV risk areas, especially mean temperature, may assist in developing climate-based surveillance procedures to timely strengthening prophylaxis and control.
Assuntos
Culicidae/virologia , Florestas , Insetos Vetores/virologia , Dinâmica Populacional , Febre Amarela , Vírus da Febre Amarela/isolamento & purificação , Animais , Brasil , Culicidae/classificação , Insetos Vetores/classificação , Estações do Ano , Temperatura , Vírus da Febre Amarela/genéticaRESUMO
The oviposition behavior of mosquitoes varies between species. We documented the unusual mechanism of egg laying in the mosquito Sabethes albiprivus Theobald with the aid of high speed video recordings in the laboratory. A sapucaia (Lecythis pisonis Camb.) nut oviposition trap, described herein, was used to simulate a tree hole with a small opening, which is the natural larval habitat of Sa. albiprivus. We showed that females approach the opening and perform a sequence of rapid, short up-and-down flights before egg laying. At this time, the egg is already visible externally, being held at the very tip of the abdomen. Females catapult one egg at a time by rapidly curling their abdomen downward, sending the egg through the opening while their legs are positioned in different configurations throughout the event. The estimated velocity of the catapulted eggs was almost 1 m/s.