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Background: Despite the progress in scaling vector control interventions in Ethiopia, malaria is still a major health problem in the country. Monitoring of the local vector populations and the effectiveness of vector control strategies is necessary to guide programme decisions to optimize malaria prevention efforts. This study investigated the feeding preference, the biting behaviour and resting behaviours of Anopheles mosquitoes in selected localities of Dembiya District. Methods: Adult Anopheles mosquitoes were sampled indoors and outdoors from June 2018 to May 2019 using CDC light traps, pyrethrum spray catches, artificial pit shelters, and mouth aspirators at both Guramba Bata and Arebiya study sites. Anopheles mosquitoes were identified to the species level. Their blood meal source and Plasmodium sporozoite infections were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Anopheles mosquitoes belonging to 11 species were identified from 2,055 collected mosquito specimens. Anopheles pharoensis was the predominant species at both the Guramba Bata (46.5%) and Arebiya (46.2%) study sites. The CDC light traps caught the highest number of Anopheles mosquitoes in both study sites. In Guramba Bata the density of outdoor host-seeking and resting Anopheles mosquitoes were higher than indoors (P ≤ 0.05). The human blood indexes (HBI) of indoor and outdoor host-seeking Anopheles arabiensis were 17.4% and 15.3%, respectively. The entomological inoculation rate (EIR) of outdoor host-seeking An. arabiensis was 4.7 infective bites/person/year. Additionally, the outdoor EIR of host-seeking Anopheles coustani was 25.7ib/p/year. Conclusions: Anopheles mosquitoes in Dembiya district were more likely to seek a host and rest outdoors than indoors. A reevaluation of vector control strategies is needed to ensure Ethiopia remains on the path to malaria elimination. The detection of Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein in potential secondary vectors, such as An. coustani requires further investigation to substantiate their role in malaria transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In sub-Saharan Africa there is widespread use of long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying to help control the densities of malaria vectors and decrease the incidence of malaria. This study was carried out to investigate the resting behavior, host preference and infection with Plasmodium falciparum of malaria vectors in Ghana in the context of the increasing insecticide resistance of malaria vectors in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods Indoor and outdoor resting anopheline mosquitoes were sampled during the dry and rainy seasons in five sites in three ecological zones [Sahel savannah (Kpalsogo, Pagaza, Libga); coastal savannah (Anyakpor); and forest (Konongo)]. Polymerase chain reaction-based molecular diagnostics were used to determine speciation, genotypes for knockdown resistance mutations (L1014S and L1014F) and the G119S ace1 mutation, specific host blood meal origins and sporozoite infection in the field-collected mosquitoes. Results Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) predominated (89.95%, n = 1718), followed by Anopheles rufipes (8.48%, n = 162) and Anopheles funestus s.l. (1.57%, n = 30). Sibling species of the Anopheles gambiae s.l. revealed Anopheles coluzzii accounted for 63% (95% confidence interval = 57.10–68.91) and 27% (95% confidence interval = 21.66–32.55) was Anopheles gambiae s. s.. The mean resting density of An. gambiae s.l. was higher outdoors (79.63%; 1368/1718) than indoors (20.37%; 350/1718) (Wilcoxon rank sum test, Z = − 4.815, P

The study was carried out on 3 Romanian Black and White cows in their first one hundred days of lactation. The aim of this study was to measure the main aspects that characterized the resting behavior of the cows in 24 hours that were divided into 3 day periods: 07:00-14:00, 14:00-21:00, 21:00-07:00. During the experiments, the following resting behavior aspects were determined: number of periods standing, number of periods lying, the length of the periods. Data was computed by ANOVA/MANOVA. Results showed that the cows spent on average 81.83 minutes standing and 25.33 minutes lying in 07:00-14:00 day period, 80.66 minutes standing and 66.33 minutes lying in 14:00-21:00 day period and 47.83 minutes standing and 137.66 minutes lying in 21:00-07:00 interval. The cows spent on average 75.77% standing and 24.23% lying from a first interval length, 55.49% standing and 44.51% lying from a 14:00-21:00 day period and 26.16% standing and 73.84% lying from a 21:00-07:00 interval.

The aim of this paper was to measure the main aspects that characterize the resting behavior of three months old calves during the summer season. During the experiments the following resting behavior aspects were determined: number of resting periods, the length of resting periods. Results showed that in the summer season the total length of laying down periods was 254.7minutes in the morning, 237.4 minutes in the afternoon and 334.2 minutes during the night. In the summer season calves stood down in 4.5 periods during the morning, 4.7 periods during the afternoon and 3.8 periods during the night. There were significant differences between morning and night (p

The aim of this paper was to measure the main aspects that characterize the resting behavior of six months old calves during the summer season. During the experiments the following resting behavior aspects were determined: number of resting periods, the length of resting periods. Results showed that in the summer season the total length of laying down periods was 77.2 minutes in the morning, 129.4 minutes in the afternoon and 347.5 minutes during the night. In the summer season calves stood down in 1.8 periods during the morning, 3.8 periods during the afternoon and 3.5 periods during the night. There were significant differences between morning and afternoon (p

In Ethiopia, malaria incidence has significantly reduced in the past decade through the combined use of conventional vector control approaches and treatment using antimalarial drugs. However, the sustainability of this achievement is threatened by the shift in biting and resting behaviors and emergence of insecticide resistance by the primary malaria vector. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the behaviour of malaria mosquitoes in different sentinel sites is crucial to design effective prevention and control methods in the local context. Entomological investigations were conducted in three sentinel sites for five consecutive months during the major malaria transmission season. The species composition, population dynamics, biting and resting behaviours of malaria vectors were determined using center for disease control and prevention (CDC) light trap, human landing catch (HLC), pyrethrum spray catch (PSC) and Pitfall shelter collection (PFS). Accordingly, 10 households for CDC, 10 households for PSC, 10 households for PFS and 5 households for HLC from each site were randomly enrolled for mosquito collection. A total of 8,297 anopheline mosquitoes were collected from the three sites, out of which 4,525 (54.5 %) were An. gambiae, s.l. 2,028 (24.4 %) were An. pharoensis, 160 (1.9 %) were An. funestus and the rest 1,584 (19 %) were other anophelines (An. coustani, An. cinerus and An. tenebrosus). No significant variation (P = 0.476) was observed between indoor (25.2/trap-night and outdoor collections (20.1/trap-night). Six hundred seventy six (43.3%) of An. gambiae s.l. (primary vector) were collected between 18:00 and 22:00 h. Biting activity declined between 00:00 and 02:00 h. The national malaria control program should pay close attention to the shifting behavior of vector mosquitoes as the observed outdoor feeding tendency of the vector population could pose challenges to the indoor intervention tools IRS and LLINs.

Choices in stabling and management affect the behavior, health, longevity and performance of cows. Resting behavior provides additional information about comfort and health. In the current study were used twenty Romanian Black and White multiparous cows, housed in a tie stall barn 24 hours per day. Experiments were carried out during winter and summer seasons, in February and June 2008. Cows monitored were in their first hundred days of lactation. In our study cows spent resting during winter season on average 379.9 minutes (6.33 hours), value that represents 26.38 % from the days interval. During cold season, cows spent resting while standing on average 277.40 minutes, and while lying recumbent, only 97.55 minutes. Time devoted to rest during summer season per 24 hours was on average 613.75 minutes (10.22 hours), value that represents 42.60% from the days interval. During summer, position adopted by cows for resting periods was as follows: 453.65 minutes in standing position and 160 minutes while lying recumbent. Differences registered between the two seasons for time spent resting and position adopted during resting periods, were very significantly statistically (p0.001).

The aim of this paper was to measure the main aspects that characterize the resting behavior of three months old calves. During the experiments the following resting behavior aspects were determined: number of resting periods, the length of resting periods. Results showed that in the winter season the total length of laying down periods was 171.5 minutes in the morning, 222.8 minutes in the afternoon and 403.9 minutes during the night. In the winter season calves stood down in 3.7 periods during the morning, 4.4 periods during the afternoon and 2.9 periods during the night. There were significant differences between morning and afternoon (p

The aim of this paper was to measure the main aspects that characterize the resting behavior of six months old calves during the winter season. During the experiments the following resting behavior aspects were determined: number of resting periods, the length of resting periods. Results showed that in the winter season the total length of laying down periods was 150.6 minutes in the morning, 171.0 minutes in the afternoon and 358.3 minutes during the night. In the winter season calves stood down in 3.2 periods during the morning, 3.0 periods during the afternoon and 3.1 periods during the night. There were very significant differences between morning and afternoon (p0.01), but the differences between morning and night (p

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa there is widespread use of long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying to help control the densities of malaria vectors and decrease the incidence of malaria. This study was carried out to investigate the resting behavior, host preference and infection with Plasmodium falciparum of malaria vectors in Ghana in the context of the increasing insecticide resistance of malaria vectors in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: Indoor and outdoor resting anopheline mosquitoes were sampled during the dry and rainy seasons in five sites in three ecological zones [Sahel savannah (Kpalsogo, Pagaza, Libga); coastal savannah (Anyakpor); and forest (Konongo)]. Polymerase chain reaction-based molecular diagnostics were used to determine speciation, genotypes for knockdown resistance mutations (L1014S and L1014F) and the G119S ace1 mutation, specific host blood meal origins and sporozoite infection in the field-collected mosquitoes. Results: Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) predominated (89.95%, n = 1718), followed by Anopheles rufipes (8.48%, n = 162) and Anopheles funestus s.l. (1.57%, n = 30). Sibling species of the Anopheles gambiae s.l. revealed Anopheles coluzzii accounted for 63% (95% confidence interval = 57.10–68.91) and 27% (95% confidence interval = 21.66–32.55) was Anopheles gambiae s. s.. The mean resting density of An. gambiae s.l. was higher outdoors (79.63%; 1368/1718) than indoors (20.37%; 350/1718) (Wilcoxon rank sum test, Z = − 4.815, P < 0.0001). The kdr west L1014F and the ace1 mutation frequencies were higher in indoor resting An. coluzzii and An. gambiae in the Sahel savannah sites than in the forest and coastal savannah sites. Overall, the blood meal analyses revealed that a larger proportion of the malaria vectors preferred feeding on humans (70.2%) than on animals (29.8%) in all of the sites. Sporozoites were only detected in indoor resting An. coluzzii from the Sahel savannah (5.0%) and forest (2.5%) zones. Conclusions: This study reports high outdoor resting densities of An. gambiae and An. coluzzii with high kdr west mutation frequencies, and the presence of malaria vectors indoors despite the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying. Continuous monitoring of changes in the resting behavior of mosquitoes and the implementation of complementary malaria control interventions that target outdoor resting Anopheles mosquitoes are necessary in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rest and sleep are important for the welfare of mammals and birds. A large part of the daily time budget of broiler chickens is taken up by resting behavior and the quality of resting is important. However, in intensive broiler production systems, disruptions of resting behaviors are common. These disruptions of resting behavior could be negative for the health and growth of the birds. This study investigated if artificial brooders that provide a delimited and darker resting place, away from active birds, reduce disruptions of resting behavior compared to a control situation without artificial brooders. Six pens of each treatment were used in the same building, keeping 60 chickens (Ross 308) per pen. The artificial brooders were removed at 21 days of age. Data on disturbances and duration of resting bouts and activity between resting bouts were collected on 20 and 34 days of age. Also, as an indicator of the quality of rest, the animals' cognitive performance was evaluated in a spatial learning test that was performed at 11 days of age. The results showed that birds housed in pens with access to brooders have longer resting bouts (260.7 ± 5.2 vs. 132.8 ± 5.3s, p < 0.001) and are less likely to be disturbed during resting by other individuals (0.15 vs. 0.48, p < 0.001). The effect of the artificial brooders on both the duration of resting bouts and the proportion of disturbances remained after the removal of the brooders at 21 days of age. The duration of activity between resting bouts was shorter if the resting bout was ended by a disturbance (9.98 ± 1.0 vs. 61.0 ± 2.4s, p < 0.001). Birds reared with brooders were more likely to solve the spatial learning task (0.5 vs. 0.27, p < 0.01), but those succeeding were not faster at solving it. Broilers may be exposed to disrupted rest due to the lack of a dedicated resting place separated from areas with high activity. Using artificial brooders reduces disturbances but does not eliminate them. Therefore, additional changes to the housing conditions or management will be needed to prevent disturbances.

Resting is an essential part of ungulate life that is very important for their comfort and welfare. The bed-site location is crucial for ungulate thermoregulation, concealment, and predation avoidance. The ground's preparation of bed-sites before lying down allows ungulates to recover their energy in fairly comfortable conditions. The bedding behavior is a basic and common pattern in ungulates, but this behavior is still poorly understood. In this paper, I studied the bedding and resting behaviors in goitered gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa), which have not yet been investigated until now. I found: (a) goitered gazelles preferred the soft substrate of the dry river beds for their resting places all year round; (b) they searched for comfortable bed-sites with their muzzles lowered and pawed the bed-site with one or both front legs; (c) searching for the best position on the bed-site, they spun around on the bed-site for 90–360º before lying down; (d) scratching bed-sites with the front hooves served rather to increase the softness of the resting place in all seasons than for clearing snow in winter only; (e) the gazelles changed their body side periodically during long lying periods avoiding pressure sores; and (f) to help maintain muscle tone, they stretched their bodies after ending a long resting period. Main functions of bedding behavior and related movements are similar to other ungulate species, but some patterns in goitered gazelles were observed that were unknown resting behaviors of other ungulate species, such as spinning around on the bed-site before lying down and changing body sides during rest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cotylar fossa is a complex anatomical character in the astragalar medial malleolar facet. It represents a dynamic relationship between the astragalus and the tibia in the upper tarsal joint. The astragalus must accommodate the medial tibial malleolus when the tibia is in an extreme flexion. It is one of the three morphological synapomorphies considered for Afrotheria, although it is also a recurrent trait among different groups of mammals. Here, fossil South American Native Ungulates and extant mammals were surveyed to reevaluate how much this character is spread and how variable it is. Beyond afrotherians, it is observed that it also appears in primates, macropodid marsupials, laurasiatherian archaic ungulates, perissodactyls, pantodonts, and dinoceratans; it is also in some but not all of the extinct endemic ungulates from South America. No function has been suggested before for the presence of a cotylar fossa. The cotylar fossa could be an adaptation to a passive, rest related posture. Extreme flexion of the tibia/fibula over the foot happens when animal sits or lies down. Because of this, the cotylar fossa may not represent a synapomorphy of afrotherians but a homoplastic feature convergently developed several times. The cotylar fossa, as first described, is more characteristic of the order Primates than of any other taxa, including Afrotheria. But, there is more than one kind of cotylar fossa, and this variation could correspond to more than one cause, including phylogenetic constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to test the effect of the animal to feeding place ratio on behavior of meat goats during gestation. In one group (FP-1.0; n=10) every goat had a single feeding place while in the other group (FP-0.5; n=10) two goats had to share one feeding place. Behaviors were analyzed with the continuous sampling method for 24 h for each animal. Social dominance index was used by ranking individuals as low-, medium- and high-ranking according to withdrawal and displacement behaviors. Total daily feeding duration decreased (P=0.001) from 5.2 h to 4.2 h by reducing feeding place. Feeding duration was neither affected by social rank (P=0.362) nor its interaction with feeding place (P=0.159). Feeding frequency was higher in FP-0.5 than FP-1.0 (P=0.001). Low-ranking goats had a higher feeding frequency (P<0.001). Resting duration (lying and standing) decreased in medium- and low-ranking goats in FP-0.5 (P=0.001) while all rank categories were similar in FP-1.0. Competition behaviors increased (P=0.001) in medium- and low-ranked goats in FP-0.5 but were similar between rank categories in FP-1.0. Feeding place and social rank had an effect (P≤0.009) on some of the agonistic behaviors. Agonistic interactions such as displacement, butting and ignoring were affected by the interaction of feeding place and social rank (P≤0.005). In conclusion, the reduction of the number of feeding places from 1.0 to 0.5 per goat in pregnant hornless Boer goats negatively affected feeding, competition, resting and aggressive behaviors, whereas low-ranking animals suffered more from competition and aggression behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driving fatigue cost is a major component of vehicle drivers' travel costs in an intercity or regional network. The charging behavior of electric vehicle (EV) drivers, which is generally synchronized with drivers' resting behavior, can contribute to the mitigation of drivers' fatigue, especially after a prolonged driving period. Overlooking the impact of driving fatigue on the travel cost may overestimate the side-effects of the charging behavior for EV drivers, and result in biased flow and charging demand distribution. In this study, by considering the fatigue as part of the travel cost, we make the first attempt to investigate the impact of EV drivers' charging and resting behaviors on their fatigue cost, and thus their travel plans and resultant flow distribution across the network. To this end, a novel network equilibrium modeling framework is first developed to capture the interaction among EV drivers' travel plans, which specify the routing, recharging, and resting plans on a general intercity or regional network where charging stations and rest stops are deployed. When traveling between their origins and destinations, EV drivers are assumed to determine their travel plans to minimize their individual travel cost composed of driving time, rest time, charging cost, and fatigue cost, while preventing their batteries from being exhausted. The equilibrium model is then formulated as a variational inequality and transformed into a nonlinear optimization problem. An efficient solution algorithm integrating column generation and Benders decomposition approach is proposed to solve the established optimization problem. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed models and solution algorithm. Numerical results validate that considering the impact of driving fatigue on the travel cost emphasizes the need for en-route charging for EV drivers with long-distance trips, and has an appreciable impact on the network flow and charging demand distribution. In addition, large-sized batteries and fast chargers may not necessarily reduce drivers' travel costs for long-distance travel since charging behavior can be synchronized with drivers' resting behavior and thus contribute to the mitigation of drivers' fatigue. • Driving fatigue cost is a major component of vehicle drivers' travel costs. • Charging time can contribute to the mitigation of electric vehicle drivers' fatigue. • Drivers' travel plan specifies their routing, recharging, and resting plans. • A novel network equilibrium model is developed to delineate drivers' travel plans. • An efficient solution algorithm is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of incomplete milking during the first 5 days of lactation on the resting behavior of commercial dairy cows. The hypothesis was that the elevated intramammary pressure resulting from milk retained in the udder in incompletely milked cows could lead to a change in lying behavior. This study was a randomized controlled trial in which cows from two farms were randomly allocated into a treatment (n = 18) or a control group (n = 14). Cows in the treatment group were milked incompletely (10–14 L/days) during the first 5 days of lactation, while cows in the control group were milked as usually done on farm. Resting behaviors were recorded with a data logger. Linear mixed models were used to quantify the effects of treatment group on three dependent variables measured between 2 and 14 days in milk: daily duration of lying time (h/d), lying bout frequency (bouts/day), and mean duration of lying bouts (min/bout). There was no significant effect of treatment on lying time. However, the effect of treatment on frequency of lying bouts and on mean lying bout duration varied by parity level. Incompletely milked cows in second parity had a higher number of lying bouts (11.9 vs. 9.2 bouts/day) and shorter mean lying bout duration (57.8 min/bout vs. 66.7 min) than control cows. In third parity or more, the opposite happened. Therefore, our results suggest that an incomplete milking may be slightly problematic for second parity cows and, possibly, slightly beneficial for older cows. Whether the differences observed resulted from a biologic process (discomfort due to the incomplete milking) or from random error will have to be determined by future research.

Many animals exhibit circadian variation in behavior; thus, studying nocturnal behavior is important to fully understand species activity patterns. The nocturnal behavior of Asian elephants, and specifically calves, has received little previous study. We carried out observational study of the nocturnal behavior of orphaned Asian elephant calves at three age groups: 'infant' (0-24 months), 'young juvenile' (25-36 months) and 'old juveniles' (over 36 months). Project aims were to build a nocturnal activity budget, to investigate key age differences, and whether calves exhibited synchronous behavior patterns. We carried out focal animal sampling and instantaneous group scan sampling on 34 calves for 18 nights using an infra-red camera. Focal results indicated that calves spent the highest percentage of scans in lying rest (46.2%) and feeding (28.4%). There was no significant difference between lying rest in the three age groups. Calves spent the majority of time within 5 m of their nearest neighbor, with infants remaining in closest proximity to conspecifics compared to older calves. Synchronous behavior could not be proved statistically but two distinct lying rest periods between 2300 and 0100, and 0330 and 0530, were noted. We found that calves spent more time in lying rest than previously observed in adult elephants. Activity patterns observed suggest that the orphaned group behavior is similar to that reported in the wild and captive zoological collections, and appears to be in concordance with 'natural' behavior patterns, a defining feature of animal welfare. This research provides valuable data as a preliminary study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus are disease vectors distributed throughout much of the world and are responsible for a high burden of vector-borne disease, which has increased during the last 2 decades. Most pathogens vectored by these mosquitoes do not have therapeutic remedies; thus, combating these diseases is dependent upon vector control. Improvements in vector control strategies are urgently needed, but these hinge on understanding the biology and ecology of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus. Both species have been extensively investigated, but further knowledge on diel resting activity of these vectors can improve vector surveillance and control tools for targeting resting vector populations. From April to December 2021, we determined outdoor daytime resting habits of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus male, female, and blood-fed female populations in Reynosa, Mexico, using large red odor-baited wooden box traps. The daytime resting activity for Ae. aegypti males, females, and blood-fed females was restricted to a period between 0900 h and 1300 h, with a peak at 0900 h, while the resting activity of Cx. quinquefasciatus male, female, and blood-fed females was between 0700 h and 1100 h, with a peak at 0700 h. A generalized additive model was developed to relate relative humidity and temperature to resting Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti male, female, and blood-fed populations caught in traps. This study advances the understanding of outdoor resting behavior for 2 important vector mosquito species and discusses future studies to fill additional knowledge gaps., (Copyright © 2023 by The American Mosquito Control Association, Inc.)

Many mosquito vectors rest inside human habitations, a behavioral trait that is exploited for vector control by indoor residual spraying (IRS) of interior walls with insecticide. Although IRS and its refined version targeted IRS are very effective against Aedes aegypti , they are expensive and logistically challenging to deliver in densely populated urban areas where outbreaks of dengue and other arboviruses are the greatest challenge. In experiments in Recife, Brazil, we set out to quantify the indoor resting behavior of Ae. aegypti at a level beyond that previously reported. We found that significantly more Ae. aegypti males, unfed and fed females visited the base of walls (height 0-20 cm, corresponding to 12.3% of the total wall surface) more frequently than upper wall areas, with the difference more pronounced at higher temperatures. When the lowest 20 cm of the walls was treated with an appropriate insecticide and colored black, we recorded up to 85% cumulative mortality after 24-h exposure in the experimental room. The findings are significant because feasibly, householders could treat this small and accessible target zone manually, without the need for visits by costly IRS teams or equipment, reducing insecticide use and enabling communities to actively protect their own indoor environment., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of National Academy of Sciences.)

We evaluated how the presence of sugar sources impacted the distribution of Aedes aegypti in different habitats in Durán, Ecuador. Land cover and normalized difference vegetation index maps were used to guide a random point sampling routine to select study grids (30 m x 30 m) in low vegetation (LV) and high vegetation (HV). Five individual plants, at one home in the LV and HV grid, were treated with a different colored, non-attractive, 60% sucrose solution to determine mosquito feeding and movement. Sugar alone is not attractive to mosquitoes, so spraying vegetation with a dyed sugar solution can be used for visual determination of sugar feeding. Outdoor collections using BG sentinel traps and indoor collections using aspirators were conducted at the treatment home and with collection points at 20, 40, and 60 m surrounding the treatment home for three consecutive days. A total of 3,245 mosquitoes in two genera, Aedes and Culex, was collected. The proportion of stained Ae. aegypti females was 56.8% (510/898) and 0% for males. For Culex, 63.9% (248/388) females and 36.1% (140/388) males were collected stained. Aedes aegypti and Culex spp. were found up to 60 m stained in both LV and HV grids. Significantly more stained females Ae. aegypti were found inside homes compared to females and males of Culex spp. in both habitats. This study identifies that outdoor sugar feeding is a common behavior of Ae. aegypti and can be targeted as a control strategy in urban habitats in Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Aedes aegypti is the predominant vector in urban areas of the Colombo district. • Ae. aegypti adult density correlates with climatic factors such as monthly rainfall and mean temperature. • Ae. aegypti adult density positively correlates with the one-month lagged dengue case number. • Ae. aegypti preferred indoor resting areas in urban areas were bedrooms and living rooms. Understanding local geographical variation in vector density and bionomics related to virus transmission are critical for planning effective vector control programs to control dengue virus transmission. This study investigated the prevalence and resting behaviour of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus in three dengue high-risk areas in the Colombo District, Sri Lanka. Monthly sampling of resting adult mosquitoes was conducted from August 2019 to February 2020. Thirty-seven percent of the households (289/776) harboured Aedes mosquitoes, and 603 Aedes mosquitoes were collected. The proportion of Ae. aegypti was higher in the overall collection during the collection period (94% [569/603]), and 62% (352/569) were females. Significant monthly variations in Ae. aegypti were observed with respect to the indices: number of females per surveyed house (F/SH; p = 0.001), number of females per Aedes positive house (F/PH; p = 0.029), adult house index (AHI; p = 0.001), adult density (AD; p = 0.005) and resting ratio (RR; p = 0.001). AHI, AD, and RR had statistically significant positive correlations with monthly rainfall (p = 0.001, p = 0.011, and p = 0.002 respectively) and one-month lagged dengue cases (p = 0.002, p = 0.005, and p < 0.001 respectively). A statistically significantly higher proportion of Ae. aegypti females were caught resting indoors (N = 309, 88%) than outdoors (N = 43, 12%; p < 0.001). The most common resting areas were bedrooms (51%) & living/dining rooms (37%), and places were under or on furniture (47%) & hangings (34%) for Ae. aegypti. Conversely, 74% of female Ae. albopictus were collected outdoors. Results of this study could have strong implications to improve vector surveillance and control by early detection of dengue to detect outbreaks and minimization of disease transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hert et al. (J Comp Physiol A, ) challenged one part of the study by Begall et al. (PNAS 105:13451-13455, ) claiming that they could not replicate the finding of preferential magnetic alignment of cattle recorded in aerial images of Google Earth. However, Hert and co-authors used a different statistical approach and applied the statistics on a sample partly unsuitable to examine magnetic alignment. About 50% of their data represent noise (resolution of the images is too poor to enable unambiguous measurement of the direction of body axes, pastures are on slopes, near settlements or high voltage power-lines, etc.). Moreover, the authors have selected for their analysis only ~ 40% of cattle that were present on the pastures analyzed. Here, we reanalyze all usable data and show that cattle significantly align their body axes in North-South direction on pastures analyzed by Hert and co-authors. This finding thus supports our previous study. In addition, we show by using aerial Google Earth images with good resolution, that the magnetic alignment is more pronounced in resting than in standing cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An entomological survey to determine resting behaviour and species composition of malaria vectors was carried out in Uyui District in western Tanzania in May 2009. Mosquitoes were collected using indoor resting catch, window exit trap and outdoor "bed-net" techniques. They mosquitoes were identified using morphological key and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 672 Anopheles gambiae sensu lato were collected. Of these, 661 (98.4%) were collected outdoor whereas few (1.6%) were collected indoor. The exit trap catch: mechanical aspirator catch ratio was 1:1.75. The overall indoor resting density of An. gambiae s.l. as determined by mechanical aspirator and exit trap was 0.7 and 0.5 mosquitoes per room, respectively. The overall density of the host-seeking as determined by bed net trap outdoor was 44.1 mosquitoes per person. A sample of 44 specimens taken randomly from morphologically identified An.gambiae s.l. population was further analyzed to species level using PCR techniques. Of these 44 specimens 26 (59%) and 18 (41%) were Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto respectively. This study contributes to the understanding of the distribution of malaria vectors with respect to species composition and their resting behaviour that could contribute to vector control operations in western Tanzania. A longitudinal study considering dry and wet seasons is recommended to provide more information on the seasonal distribution, abundance and biting behaviour of malaria vectors in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral responses of Risso's dolphins ( Grampus griseus) to whale watching vessels were studied off Pico Island, Azores. Dolphin behavior was studied from a land-based lookout, enabling observations of groups in the absence and presence of vessels. The number of whale watching vessels showed a clear seasonal pattern, dividing the whale watching period into a low season and a high season. During the low season, Risso's dolphins rested mainly in the morning and afternoon. During the high season, Risso's dolphins rested less and did so mainly at noon, when the number of active vessels was lowest. Data analysis using a generalized additive mixed model indicated that this change in resting behavior was associated with vessel abundance. When more than five vessels were present, Risso's dolphins spent significantly less time resting and socializing. During the high season, this vessel abundance was exceeded during 20% of observation days. While we cannot be sure that the observed changes in behavior have fitness consequences for Risso's dolphins, reduced resting and socializing rates can have negative impacts on the build-up of energy reserves and on reproductive success. We suggest the adoption of precautionary management measures to regulate the timing and intensity of whale watching activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: Goa is one of the filariasis endemic states of India. However, information on density, pattern and resting behavior of Culex quinquefasciatus Say, the principal vector of filariasis in Goa is lacking. Therefore, current longitudinal study was undertaken to investigate these aspects. Methods: Panaji was divided into six zones and a total of 240 man hours were spent in 60 fixed catching sites to collect the adult Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes on fortnightly basis from indoor resting sites during 2005-06. The female mosquitoes were classified as unfed, fed, semi-gravid and gravid to ascertain the resting behavior of Cx. quinquefasciatus adults. The data were analysed to evaluate the spatio-temporal variations in adult density, abdominal status and indoor resting sites and linked to meteorological variables like temperature, relative humidity, rainfall and number of rainy days. Results: Cx. quinquefasciatus adults were prevalent perennially in Panaji with highest per man hour density of females (48.6) in February and the lowest density (6.6) in September. Monthly variations in the densities between different months was significant (F=15.3; P<0.05). Rainfall significantly influenced the population of Cx. quinquefasciatus (t=2.63; P<0.05). Fed group and semi-gravid group showed a strong correlation with the relative humidity (P<0.05), rain fall (P<0.05) and number of rainy days (P<0.05). 62.4 per cent of females and 65.1 per cent of males preferred to rest on hanging objects. Spatio-temporal variations in the number of Cx. quinquefasciatus females and males resting on different sites and also the variations in different sites (P<0.05) were significant. Interpretation & conclusion: The density of female Cx. quinquefasciatus encountered in all the months was higher than the estimated tolerated level of density of 34 per ten man hours up to which there is no risk of filariasis transmission. The strong correlation between the abdominal conditions and relative humidity, rainfall and number of rainy days imply that these meteorological variables significantly influenced the feeding and fecundity of the species. 85.3 per cent of the indoor resting population comprising of fed, semi-gravid and gravid females confirmed the endophilic nature of the species. The preferential resting behavior of both females and males on hanging objects suggest that use of insecticide treated long-lasting bed nets as personal protective measure can be exploited to reduce the density of the vector species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor resting and human-landing mosquito collections were conducted at selected localities in Kolkata, India to determine resting and host-seeking behavior, night biting activity, seasonal distributions and malaria infection rates. During a two-year study (2006–2007), 5123 and 1716 female mosquitoes were captured in indoor-resting and human-landing collections, respectively, from two types of residences (brick built rooms, temporary huts). Regression analysis demonstrated that the abundance of indoor resting An. stephensi was positively correlated with ambient temperature and relative humidity. The average duration of the gonotrophic cycle for laboratory-reared An. stephensi was about 4 days. Average proportion of parous An. stephensi, daily survival and daily mortality rates were 46%, 82% and 18%, respectively. Plasmodium vivax sporozoite infections were detected in the salivary glands of two wild-caught An. stephensi (sporozoite rate 2.2%) and one An. annularis (sporozoite rate 1.5%). No P. falciparum infections were detected. Oocyst infections were observed in one An. annularis mosquito (oocyst rate 1.5%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this study was to obtain variables that enabled estimation of variation in stall occupancy times based on the cow-to-stall ratio. First, stall use by Holstein–Friesian cows was analyzed on 16 farms in Galicia, Northwest Spain, by continuously recording cow behavior for 24h. Intervals of 17s were recorded every 3min and 30s. The video recordings were watched to count the number of simultaneously occupied stalls. Before actually reducing the number of stalls in practice, the variation in the average occupancy time per stall was estimated by using a variable termed ‘predictably altered time of occupancy’ for stall-to-cow ratios of 0.9, 0.8 and 0.7 (111%, 125% and 143% stocking density, respectively). Such an estimate was based on data for an occupancy level of 1.00stall/cow. The following variables were determined based on data obtained from the initial sample of 16 farms: maximum stall occupancy, average occupancy time per stall, average stall occupancy time per cow, and predictably altered time of occupancy. Three farms were selected from the initial sample. On such farms, 0.8 and 0.7stall/cow ratios were actually applied to verify the estimates of variation. Other additional variable was determined for the three selected farms: occupancy time at different levels of stall occupancy. The results for a stall-to-cow ratio of 0.7 (143% stocking density) suggested considerable alterations in occupancy time per stall, evidenced by maximum stall occupancy. Such alterations had already been detected from estimates of the predictably altered time of occupancy and were confirmed in practice. The effects of the 0.9 ratio (111% stocking density) were lower because maximum stall occupancy did not exceed 90% on the farms studied. Because the use of intermediate values, such as 0.8stalls/cow (125% stocking density), can cause trouble in barns with average occupancy levels above 50%, monitoring individual cows with special conditions such as heifers becomes essential. The theoretical determination of the time of occupancy predictably altered by the proposed reduction in the number of stalls is an indicator of the effect of such a reduction on stall use. The predictably altered time of occupancy can be determined for a specific herd, management system and barn based on a ratio of 1.00cow/stall. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We demonstrate by means of simple, noninvasive methods (analysis of satellite images, field observations, and measuring "deer beds" in snow) that domestic cattle (n = 8,510 in 308 pastures) across the globe, and grazing and resting red and roe deer (n = 2,974 at 241 localities), align their body axes in roughly a northsouth direction. Direct observations of roe deer revealed that animals orient their heads northward when grazing or resting. Amazingly, this ubiquitous phenomenon does not seem to have been noticed by herdsmen, ranchers, or hunters. Because wind and light conditions could be excluded as a common denominator determining the body axis orientation, magnetic alignment is the most parsimonious explanation. To test the hypothesis that cattle orient their body axes along the field lines of the Earth's magnetic field, we analyzed the body orientation of cattle from localities with high magnetic declination. Here, magnetic north was a better predictor than geographic north. This study reveals the magnetic alignment in large mammals based on statistically sufficient sample sizes. Our findings open horizons for the study of magnetoreception in general and are of potential significance for applied ethology (husbandry, animal welfare). They challenge neuroscientists and biophysics to explain the proximate mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated habitat use and diversity of waterbirds at one of the coastal and satellite lagoons around Lake Biwa, which is a registered wetland of the Ramsar Convention in Japan. To evaluate the importance for waterbirds of a lagoon around the freshwater lake, we conducted 26 censuses over 1 year on seven blocks with different landscape elements in a small lagoon. A total of 25 species were found and most of them (72%) belonged to a guild in which birds forage without diving. Species density (per ha) and diversity was high in blocks where Zizania latifolia Turcz and Phragmites australis L. reed beds existed. Not all of the waterbird species were feeding all the time, but were often resting in their preferred blocks, suggesting that they use the lagoon as both a refuge and a feeding site. Habitats with a structural reed bed community and shallow waters (<1 m depth) may be crucial determinants of high waterbird diversity in this small lagoon around which many people live. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to measure the main aspects that characterize the resting behavior of six months old calves during the winter season. During the experiments the following resting behavior aspects were determined: number of resting periods, the length of resting periods. Results showed that in the winter season the total length of laying down periods was 150.6 minutes in the morning, 171.0 minutes in the afternoon and 358.3 minutes during the night. In the winter season calves stood down in 3.2 periods during the morning, 3.0 periods during the afternoon and 3.1 periods during the night. There were very significant differences between morning and afternoon (p<0.001), between morning and night (p<0.001) and between afternoon and night (p<0.001) for total time spent lying down by calves. In the winter season the total time spent resting (sleep and rest laying down) was 46.4 minutes in the morning, 36.3 minutes in the afternoon and 132.7 minutes during the night. The differences between morning and afternoon were not significant (p>0.01), but the differences between morning and night (p<0.001) and between afternoon and night (p<0.001) were very significant for total time spent resting by calves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the resting behavior of a baiji Lipotes vexillifer in captivity at the Baiji Aquarium, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, China. Patterns of resting behavior; Correlative examination between rest and active periods; Effect of feeding activities on the resting rhythm.

This article provides information necessary to assist in creation of freestall facilities in which cows thrive through designs that optimize the resting behavior of dairy cattle and provide a safe, comfortable, clean, and dry place to lie down with easy access to feed and water. Comfortable stalls require a deep-bedded surface, affording cows the cushion they need to lie down for 12 hours per day and the traction necessary to facilitate rising and lying movements. Stalls should be sized to accommodate cows using them and prevent obstructions to lunge and bob areas and impediments to normal rising and lying movements., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A study was conducted to investigate the current resting behavior of malaria vectors in Mutare and Mutasa districts, Zimbabwe. Mosquitoes were captured using pyrethrum spray collection, prokopac aspirator, pit shelter, and exit trap methods. Mosquitoes were sorted and identified using morphological key and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. The Anopheles funestus group constituted 97%, whereas Anopheles gambiae complex mosquitoes were few (3%). Endophilic collections in both species were five times greater than exophilic catches. The endophilic trait was further demonstrated by gravid to fed index (gravid/fed) of constantly more than 1. Nearly 90% endophilic An. funestus populations were collected on sprayable and 10% collected on unsprayable surfaces. Of the sprayable surfaces, 56% were collected on the roofs, with 44% on the walls. Of those on the walls, 44, 22, and 34% were caught on wall heights >1, 1.0-1.5, <1.5 m from the ground, respectively. Of the gravid An. funestus caught, nearly two-thirds were collected exiting pyrethroid-treated structures, with a 24-h mortality of less than 10%. The PCR analysis of 120 specimens taken randomly from the An. funestus group was all An. funestus s.s. The present work indicates that for effective malaria control in Mutare and Mutasa districts using indoor residual spraying, both walls and roofs must be sprayed., (© The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)