I tested a theoretical model proposing that anemia
favors transmission of blood-borne parasites to vectors
by accelerating the blood-feeding rate. Using Aedes
aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, initially, I was not
able to confirm this phenomenon either in an artificial
or a live system; anemia did not correlate with blood-feeding...
Antibacterial activities in the salivary glands of
female mosquitoes Aedes aegypti were investigated in this
study.
The mean salivary bacteriolytic activity, during a
period of 14-day of female mosquitoes exposed to five
different concentrations of Gram-positive bacteria
Micrococcus lysodeikticus in the sucrose meal, was
detected by a lysoplate method. A...
This study investigated some functional and
biochemical characteristics of a bacteriolytic protein in
the salivary glands of adult Aedes aecupti. A method for
the isolation of this protein from other mosquito salivary
gland components is also described. Based on some of its
biochemical properties, this bacteriolytic protein can be
classified...
The probing behavior and feeding activity of green peach aphid, Myzus persicae
Sulzer, on Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. tenebrionis- transgenic potatoes, insecticide
treated potatoes, and host plants with different preference were electronically
monitored. I found that first, transgenic potatoes had no effect on green peach aphid
probing suggesting that transmission of...
Mosquito-borne pathogens are the cause of important, often deadly diseases
worldwide; and, use of repellents is one of the components of mosquito control programs.
The most effective mosquito repellent is N,N-dimethyl-m-toluamide, known as DEET.
Speculation on the adverse effects of DEET have been on the rise since the 1980s, and...
Calow (1983) realized that differences between parasites and their free-living
relatives can be explained by the differences in nutrient richness. I
propose a model that is based on Calow's idea which identifies the relative
position of different trophic strategies (e.g. predation, grazing, parasitism and
others) based on (1) the differences...
Elton (1927) realized that, intuitively at least, nature was complex and stable. And that the last property contributed to the first. This idea was challenged mathematically by Gardner and Ashby (1970) and May (1972), and in the years following various models have attempted to reconcile these opposing views. Unlike previous...
Entomological evidence can be used for estimating post mortem interval (PMI). Decomposition studies have been conducted throughout the world and these studies have demonstrated that insect succession generally follows a similar pattern at a taxonomic level, specifically family, but varies at the genus and species levels with respect to geographic...
The myxozoan parasite, Ceratomyxa shasta, is the most significant pathogen of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Klamath River, CA, USA. This parasite requires two hosts - a freshwater polychaete (Manayunkia speciosa) and a salmonid - to complete its life cycle. The complex life cycle and large geographic area...