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The daily use of the planctomycete Rhodopirellula rubra as an alternative or supplementary food source for Daphnia magna and its feasibility in the nutrition of transgenerational populations were studied. The life history parameters, fatty acids (saturated, mono- and polyunsaturated; SFAs, MUFAs and PUFAs), glycogen and protein contents of organisms during feeding assays and of the first generation were analysed. An increase in the yields of D. magna with the increase of the cell concentration of R. rubra was evident, but overall, bacteria supplied as the only food source was nutritionally insufficient as observed for all the parameters analysed. However, when R. rubra was added as supplement to the microalgae Raphidocelis subcapitata a significant improvement in the life history parameters was observed namely in the reproductive output and the somatic growth rate. The identified SFAs, MUFAs and PUFAs were the fatty acids more abundant in daphniids, and the feed regimens influenced daphniids fatty acid profiles. Additionally, the mixed diet resulted in a larger number and size of offspring in the different F1 broods as also observed with the results of F0 generation. The pink colouration present in D. magna body and eggs confirmed that bacteria were absorbed, the pigment(s) retained and passed on to the next generation. Our results showed that R. rubra can play an essential role in D. magna diet as a nutritional supplement showing potential biotechnological applications.

The poroid fungi are macroscopic fungi whose fertile surface is usually poroid. Most of them are saprobes on dead wood and play fundamental role in nutrient cycling, mostly releasing carbon removed from the atmosphere by autotrophic organisms. Despite their importance, little is known about factors affecting polypore occurrence in the Neotropics. In this study, it was tested what abiotic and/or biotic conditions shapes distinct polypore communities in the Atlantic Rain Forest in Northeast Brazil by comparing (1) the composition of the species between coastal and montane forest and between dry and rainy season; (2) the similarities among areas against distance, and (3) the abundance of the species on logs of different sizes and decay stages. One hundred and ten transects (sampling units) were visited from 2008 to 2014, resulting in 138 species of poroid fungi, 80 % of them of infrequent occurrence. According to the Analysis of Similarity and PERMANOVA, the fungal communities did not form distinct groups in relation to the forest type or season, but the areas were different from each other and the variation can be partially explained by the distance among them when using linear regression. The poroid fungi were more frequently recorded in logs of decay stage 1 and 2 and their size had little, if none, effect on polypore occurrence. Thus, we suggest the protection of every fragment of any type of Atlantic Rain Forest and that dead wood should be not removed from a forest in order to protect polypore diversity.

Impacts of introgressive hybridisation may range from genomic erosion and species collapse to rapid adaptation and speciation but opportunities to study these dynamics are rare. We investigated the extent, causes and consequences of a hybrid zone between Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles gambiae in Guinea-Bissau, where high hybridisation rates appear to be stable at least since the 1990s. Anopheles gambiae was genetically partitioned into inland and coastal subpopulations, separated by a central region dominated by A. coluzzii. Surprisingly, whole genome sequencing revealed that the coastal region harbours a hybrid form characterised by an A. gambiae-like sex chromosome and massive introgression of A. coluzzii autosomal alleles. Local selection on chromosomal inversions may play a role in this process, suggesting potential for spatiotemporal stability of the coastal hybrid form and providing resilience against introgression of medically-important loci and traits, found to be more prevalent in inland A. gambiae.

Aedes aegypti is the main vector of dengue and a number of other diseases worldwide. Because of the domestic nature of this mosquito, the relative importance of macroclimate in shaping its distribution has been a controversial issue. We have captured here the worldwide macroclimatic conditions occupied by A. aegypti in the last century. We assessed the ability of this information to predict the species' observed distribution using supra-continental spatially-uncorrelated data. We further projected the distribution of the colonized climates in the near future (2010-2039) under two climate-change scenarios. Our results indicate that the macroclimate is largely responsible for setting the maximum range limit of A. aegypti worldwide and that in the near future, relatively wide areas beyond this limit will receive macroclimates previously occupied by the species. By comparing our projections, with those from a previous model based strictly on species-climate relationships (i.e., excluding human influence), we also found support for the hypothesis that much of the species' range in temperate and subtropical regions is being sustained by artificial environments. Altogether, these findings suggest that, if the domestic environments commonly exploited by this species are available in the newly suitable areas, its distribution may expand considerably in the near future.

Background Culex univittatus and Culex perexiguus mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are competent arbovirus vectors, but with unclear morphological differentiation. In Europe, and in the Iberian Peninsula in particular, the presence of either or both species is controversial. However, in order to conduct adequate surveillance for arboviruses in this region, it is crucial to clarify whether Cx. univittatus is present or not, as well as to critically assess existing differentiation tools. This study aimed to clarify this situation, by morphological and molecular phylogenetic comparison of Iberian specimens deemed as Cx. univittatus, with others of South African origin, i.e. from the type-locality region. Methods Thus, morphological characteristics useful to distinguish both species, such as midfemur pale line, hindfemur R ratio, seta g R1 ratio, seta f shape, length of ventral arm of phalosome and number of setae on IX tergal abdominal segment, were observed. A phylogenetic analysis based on cox1 mtDNA, of which there were no sequences from Cx. univittatus yet available in the GenBank database, was performed. Results This analysis showed that Iberian and South African specimens are morphologically similar, except for the length of the ventral arm of the phalosome, which was higher in the Iberian specimens. Although the Iberian specimens could not be accurately identified using BOLD Systems, phylogenetic analysis still grouped these closer to South African Cx. univittatus, than to Cx. perexiguus from Turkey and Pakistan, despite the observed segregation of both taxa as two individual monophyletic clusters with shared common ancestry. Conclusions This survey demonstrates that the West Nile virus vector Cx. univittatus is present in the Iberian Peninsula. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1877-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Islands are choice settings for experimental studies of vector control strategies based on transgenic insects. Before considering this approach, knowledge of the population structure of the vector is essential. Genetic variation at 12 microsatellite loci was therefore studied in samples of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.s., collected from six localities of São Tomé island (West Africa). The objectives were (i) to assess the demographic stability and effective population size of A. gambiae from these sites, (ii) to determine population differentiation and (iii) to relate the observed patterns of population structure with geographic, ecological and historical aspects of the vector on the island. Significant population differentiation, revealed by FST and RST statistics, was found between the southernmost site, Porto Alegre, and northern localities. The observed patterns of population substructure are probably a result of restrictions to gene flow in the less inhabited, more densely forested and mountainous south. In all localities surveyed, A. gambiae appeared to be experiencing a demographic expansion, consistent with a relatively recent (ca. 500 years) founder effect. The results are discussed with respect to current and future prospects of malaria vector control.

Background In many parts of continental Africa house construction does not appear to impede entry of malaria vectors and, given their generally late biting cycle, the great majority of transmission takes place indoors. In contrast, many houses in Sao Tome, 140 km off the coast of Gabon, are raised on stilts and built of wooden planks. Building on stilts is a time-honoured, but largely untested, way of avoiding mosquito bites. Exposure may also be affected by mosquito activity times and age composition of host-seeking females. A study was therefore undertaken on the island of Sao Tome to determine if exposure to Anopheles gambiae, the only vector on the island, varied with house construction or time of the night.

Background: Malaria prevalence differs between the two islands that comprise the archipelago of Sao Tome and Principe. This may be due to differences in the biology of local Anopheles gambiae, the only vector on the islands. Survival rate and feeding frequency are two factors influencing vectorial capacity. Anophelines generally feed just once per gonotrophic (oviposition) cycle. Newly emerged insects, however, may feed two or more times during their first oviposition cycle thus increasing the likelihood of becoming infected. The reasons for multiple feeding are not clearly understood and it is still uncertain whether the behaviour is facultative or obligatory. We, therefore, determined survival and sporozoite rates, and examined the behaviour of An. gambiae from the two islands during their first gonotrophic cycle. Methods: The wing size of 1,410, abdominal condition of 687, gonotrophic age and mated status of 7,264 female M form An. gambiae collected by light-trap, landing catch, resting outdoors or in copula, was determined from four sites in the archipelago. Sporozoite rates assessed by ELISA in 15,533 females from Sao Tome and 2,111 from Principe were determined. Results: Estimated survival rates ranged between 0.834–0.849 per day in Sao Tome and 0.801– 0.818 per day in Principe. Sporozoite rates of 0.63% in Sao Tome were significantly higher than the 0.24% from Principe. Overall 49% of females mated on the second night after emergence before feeding, and 51% on the third night and thus fed before mating. The likelihood of mating before feeding increased with wing size. None of the 3,776 parous insects collected showed evidence of recent mating. All but two of the 198 females collected in copula had undeveloped ovaries. Mean wing sizes and the number of insects collected in a sentinel light-trap varied but the proportion of newly emerged insects in the collection did not. The estimated survival rate of the smallest insects was lower than other size groups, but the overall size distribution of each age group was normal. Parous insects were gonotrophically concordant.