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1.
PLoS One ; 19(3): e0299598, 2024.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38451951

RESUMO

Life tables are one of the most common tools to describe the biology of insect species and their response to environmental conditions. Although the benefits of life tables are beyond question, we raise some doubts about the completeness of the information reported in life tables. To substantiate these doubts, we consider a case study (Corcyra cephalonica) for which the raw dataset is available. The data suggest that the Gaussian approximation of the development times which is implied by the average and standard error usually reported in life tables does not describe reliably the actual distribution of the data which can be misleading and hide interesting biological aspects. Furthermore, it can be risky when life table data are used to build models to predict the demographic changes of the population. The present study highlights this aspect by comparing the impulse response generated by the raw data and by its Gaussian approximation based on the mean and the standard error. The conclusions of this paper highlight: i) the importance of adding more information to life tables and, ii) the role of raw data to ensure the completeness of this kind of studies. Given the importance of raw data, we also point out the need for further developments of a standard in the community for sharing and analysing data of life tables experiments.


Assuntos
Insetos , Lepidópteros , Animais , Tábuas de Vida , Insetos/fisiologia , Entomologia/métodos
2.
Forensic Sci Int ; 356: 111962, 2024 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38359753

RESUMO

Burning of human remains is a common method to conceal or destroy evidence associated with homicides and illegal activities. However, data regarding blow fly colonization of burned remains are scarce, with all previously published empirical studies focusing only on non-human animals. It is critically important to obtain basic data on blow fly colonization patterns of burned human remains as such evidence may represent the only feasible method for PMI estimation in cases of burning. In this study, we thermally altered six human donors to a Crow-Glassman Scale Level 3 (CGS-3) and placed them at the Anthropology Research Facility at the University of Tennessee in Summer 2021, Spring 2022, and Summer 2022. Six unburned human donors were used as controls. Observations for insect activity began within 24 h of placement and continued twice weekly through decomposition. Age estimations were performed with immature blow flies to estimate the time of colonization (TOC), and accuracy was assessed against the time of placement for each donor. All burned donors examined in this study were colonized by blow flies. No significant difference in species composition was determined between treatments, though TOC estimations from burned donors were slightly (but significantly) less accurate than TOC estimations from unburned donors (80% vs. 83% accuracy; χ2 = 0.041, df = 1, P = 0.840). These results indicate that blow flies can successfully colonize human remains burned to CGS-3 and that accurate TOC estimations can still be generated from larval specimens. Though several limitations to this study exist (e.g., inconsistent donor BMI, lack of donor temperature data), our results underscore the utility of entomological evidence in cases of burned human remains.


Assuntos
Queimaduras , Dípteros , Animais , Humanos , Calliphoridae , Restos Mortais , Insetos , Entomologia , Larva
3.
PLoS One ; 19(2): e0294192, 2024.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38354118

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Surveillance of malaria vectors is crucial for assessing the transmission risk and impact of control measures. Human landing catches (HLC) directly estimate the biting rates but raise ethical concerns due to the exposure of volunteers to mosquito-borne pathogens. A common alternative is the CDC-light trap, which is effective for catching host-seeking mosquitoes indoors but not outdoors. New, exposure-free methods are needed for sampling mosquitoes indoors and outdoors in ways that reflect their natural risk profiles. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the efficacy of the miniaturized double net trap (DN-Mini) for sampling host-seeking mosquitoes in south-eastern Tanzania, where malaria transmission is dominated by Anopheles funestus. METHODS: Adult mosquitoes were collected from 222 randomly selected houses across three villages (74 per village) in Ulanga district, south-eastern Tanzania, using the DN-Mini traps, CDC-Light traps, and Prokopack aspirators. First, we compared CDC-light and DN-Mini traps for collecting indoor host-seeking mosquitoes, while Prokopack aspirators were used for indoor-resting mosquitoes. Second, we deployed the DN-Mini and Prokopack aspirators to collect host-seeking and resting mosquitoes indoors and outdoors. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) with a negative binomial distribution were used to compare the effectiveness of the traps for catching different mosquito species. RESULTS: The DN-Mini was 1.53 times more efficient in collecting An. funestus indoors (RR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.190-1.98) compared to the CDC-Light trap. However, for Anopheles arabiensis, the DN-Mini caught only 0.32 times as many mosquitoes indoors as the CDC-Light traps (RR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.183-0.567). Both An. funestus and An. arabiensis were found to be more abundant indoors than outdoors when collected using the DN-Mini trap. Similarly, the Prokopack aspirator was greater indoors than outdoors for both An. funestus and An. arabiensis. CONCLUSION: The DN-Mini outperformed the CDC-light trap in sampling the dominant malaria vector, An. funestus species, but was less effective in capturing An. arabiensis, and for both vector species, the biting risk was greater indoors than outdoors when measured using the DN-Mini trap. These findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate trapping methods based on mosquito species and behaviors.


Assuntos
Anopheles , Malária , Adulto , Animais , Humanos , Malária/epidemiologia , Tanzânia/epidemiologia , Entomologia/métodos , Mosquitos Vetores , Ligante de CD40 , Controle de Mosquitos/métodos
4.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 112, 2024 01 02.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38167449

RESUMO

Digital extraction of label data from natural history specimens along with more efficient procedures of data entry and processing is essential for improving documentation and global information availability. Herbaria have made great advances in this direction lately. In this study, using optical character recognition (OCR) and named entity recognition (NER) techniques, we have been able to make further advancements towards fully automatic extraction of label data from herbarium specimen images. This system can be developed and run on a consumer grade desktop computer with standard specifications, and can also be applied to extracting label data from diverse kinds of natural history specimens, such as those in entomological collections. This system can facilitate the digitization and publication of natural history museum specimens around the world.


Assuntos
Documentação , Museus , Bases de Dados Factuais , Entomologia
5.
Annu Rev Entomol ; 69: 59-79, 2024 Jan 25.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37562050

RESUMO

Urban entomology is the study of arthropod and other pests of the urban environment. It has gained worldwide recognition as a distinct discipline. Its origin is associated with Walter Ebeling's publication Urban Entomology in 1975. Urbanization, invasive pests, increased demand for pest management services, and changes in legislation collided in the 1970s to create a need for research and extension activities worldwide. This resulted in urban entomology as a discipline and, within two decades, its national and international recognition. In this review, we present the factors that led to the development of urban entomology and how they have shaped its current meaning. As urbanization intensifies and the global economy increases, the demands for urban pest management will continue to grow. We discuss how these future challenges may shape and alter the discipline.


Assuntos
Artrópodes , Entomologia , Animais , Cidades
6.
Forensic Sci Int ; 354: 111894, 2024 Jan.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38064773

RESUMO

The change in larval body length of necrophagous flies during their development is a key indicator for estimating larval age. However, existing forensic entomological models have limitations in this regard. In this study, a logistic algorithm was used to establish a general model for estimating the minimum postmortem interval (PMImin) using larval body length. The new model was used to simulate the relationship between larval body length and developmental time of eight species of necrophagous flies. The model parameters of body length variation with developmental time of the different species were calculated. Computer software was developed based on the established logistic model. The advantage of the new model is that each parameter has a biological meaning and can be used to estimate the age of larvae at any temperature and any larval body length. Cross-validation of the model showed that the overall mean accuracy of the fitted growth curves for the eight necrophagous fly larvae was 82.7%, the mean accuracy of age extrapolations for seven necrophagous fly species ranged from 76.8% to 92.9%, while the accuracy of age extrapolations for only one species was lower (i.e., 63.3%). This study provides a new method to estimate the PMImin based on larval body length, and the developed computer software will facilitate its application in forensic entomology.


Assuntos
Dípteros , Ciências Forenses , Animais , Entomologia , Mudanças Depois da Morte , Comportamento Alimentar , Larva , Modelos Logísticos , Software
7.
J Med Entomol ; 61(2): 400-409, 2024 Mar 13.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38157316

RESUMO

Necrophagous Diptera are the most important group of insects used for the purposes of forensic entomology. While the most utilized fly family in this context is the family Calliphoridae, there are several other families that can be of great importance during real-case investigations. This article analyzes the necrophagous flies of all families recorded from 160 real cases in Switzerland between 1993 and 2007. A total of 56 species belonging to 16 families was identified with Calliphoridae being the most dominant family (90.63% of all cases), followed by Muscidae (26.25%), Sarcophagidae (19.38%), Phoridae (14.38%), and Fanniidae (12.50%). For specimens that were difficult to identify morphologically, a new PCR primer has been specifically designed for the amplification of a short, informative COI barcode in degraded museum samples of forensically important Diptera taxa. The richest family in terms of species was the family Muscidae with 16 species. Fannia fuscula (Fallen) and Fannia monilis (Haliday) were recorded from human cadavers for the first time. The study highlights the importance of different fly families in forensic investigation, enhancing our comprehension of their prevalence and dispersion in real cases in Central Europe. The results pave the way for additional exploration, especially regarding the involvement of less frequently observed species in forensic entomology.


Assuntos
Dípteros , Muscidae , Sarcofagídeos , Humanos , Animais , Suíça , Entomologia , Calliphoridae
8.
J Med Entomol ; 61(2): 267-273, 2024 Mar 13.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38156724

RESUMO

In 2022, the dramatic reduction of applied and extension urban entomology positions was highlighted and widely discussed by seasoned and nascent urban entomologists alike. In fact, many urban entomologists are calling for a "paradigm shift" within the discipline given the reduction in niche urban entomology-specific positions. Specifically, many individuals are insisting that movement toward a framework where urban entomologists address complex, cross-disciplinary issues and advocate for research funding through science policy is critical for the endurance of the discipline. In this new model, the purpose of urban entomology does not necessarily change, but rather expands to attack questions that may be of interest to the broader scientific community. In addition, this paradigm shift would necessitate increased engagement of urban entomologists with bureaucratic and administrative agencies to communicate the importance of urban pest management, especially in a landscape where funding opportunities and endowments have been reduced, reallocated, or eliminated. To reflect the ongoing transformation within the field of urban entomology, the objectives of this review were to highlight papers published in 2022 that exemplify the broader impacts of urban entomological studies and urban pest management. Studies with ties to global public health and Entomological Society of America science policy initiatives are highlighted to encourage urban entomologists to consider the far-reaching influence of their research.


Assuntos
Controle de Pragas , Saúde Pública , Animais , Entomologia , Estações do Ano
9.
Sci Rep ; 13(1): 21389, 2023 12 04.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38049590

RESUMO

Sandflies (Diptera; Psychodidae) are medical and veterinary vectors that transmit diverse parasitic, viral, and bacterial pathogens. Their identification has always been challenging, particularly at the specific and sub-specific levels, because it relies on examining minute and mostly internal structures. Here, to circumvent such limitations, we have evaluated the accuracy and reliability of Wing Interferential Patterns (WIPs) generated on the surface of sandfly wings in conjunction with deep learning (DL) procedures to assign specimens at various taxonomic levels. Our dataset proves that the method can accurately identify sandflies over other dipteran insects at the family, genus, subgenus, and species level with an accuracy higher than 77.0%, regardless of the taxonomic level challenged. This approach does not require inspection of internal organs to address identification, does not rely on identification keys, and can be implemented under field or near-field conditions, showing promise for sandfly pro-active and passive entomological surveys in an era of scarcity in medical entomologists.


Assuntos
Aprendizado Profundo , Phlebotomus , Psychodidae , Animais , Psychodidae/parasitologia , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Phlebotomus/parasitologia , Entomologia
10.
Trop Biomed ; 40(3): 370-374, 2023 Sep 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37897172

RESUMO

Beetles (Coleoptera) are known to constitute forensic evidence in medico-legal investigations as their presence can be used to date human remains in almost all decomposition stages. Many forensic studies focus on the successional colonization pattern of flies (Diptera); however, beetles have not so far been studied extensively for this aspect. A beetle of the genus Afromorgus Scholtz, 1986, A. chinensis (Boheman, 1858) (Scarabaeoidea: Trogidae), was found beneath a late decaying rabbit carcass at Paya Indah Wetland, Dengkil, Malaysia, for the first time. Both genus and species are already known to occur in Malaysia from literature.


Assuntos
Besouros , Dípteros , Entomologia Forense , Animais , Coelhos , Humanos , Mudanças Depois da Morte , Ciências Forenses , Entomologia , Cadáver , Comportamento Alimentar
11.
Rev Saude Publica ; 57: 57, 2023.
Artigo em Inglês, Português | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37878843

RESUMO

The Department of Hygiene of the Faculty of Medicine of São Paulo (FMUSP), organized with the support of the Rockefeller Foundation, became the Institute of Hygiene, with the inaugural class taught by Samuel Darling in 1918. The history of Public Health Entomology is mixed with that of the Institute itself, which became the Faculty of Hygiene and Public Health in 1945. Still in the 1930s, Paulo César de Azevedo Antunes and John Lane organized Public Health Entomology within the Medical Parasitology area of the then Institute of Hygiene. During this period, the entomology laboratory came to be recognized for its research in the systematics of hematophagous insects, as well as in the ecology, biology and behavior of vectors. The Entomological Reference Collection (CER) originated naturally from the research of Paulo César Antunes and John Lane and is a national and international heritage covering primary and secondary types of insect species that are of interest to public health. Over the years, it has been consolidated with the efforts of Augusto Ayroza Galvão, Renato Corrêa, José Coutinho, Nelson Cerqueira, Ernesto Rabello, Oswaldo Forattini and others. In its over eighty years of activities, CER has enabled the training of several scientists able to act in programs of surveillance and control of endemic diseases associated with insect vectors throughout Latin America, in addition to training taxonomists focused on insects of interest in Public Health. Researchers from other Brazilian institutes and abroad joined the entomology laboratory because of its importance and the research developed in it. The growing scientific production made it possible for entomological studies developed at the Faculty of Public Health (FSP) to gain international visibility, contributing to the development of disease prevention and epidemic control actions in the country.


Assuntos
Insetos Vetores , Saúde Pública , Animais , Humanos , Brasil , Entomologia , Doenças Endêmicas , Insetos
12.
J Insect Sci ; 23(4)2023 Jul 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37527466

RESUMO

The 2021 Student Debates of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) were held at the Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. The event was organized by the Student Debates Subcommittee (SDS) of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC). The theme of the 2021 Student Debates was "Transforming Entomology to Adapt to Global Concerns", with 3 topics. Each topic had an unbiased introduction and 2 teams. The debate topics were (i) Nonnative insect introduction is an ethical approach for counteracting proliferation and overpopulation of consumers, (ii) What is the best technology to control undesirable insect pests in urban and agricultural settings? and (iii) Compared to other solutions, like plant-based diets, insect farming is the best method to address rising human global food and nutrient supply demands. Unbiased introduction speakers and teams had approximately 6 months to prepare for their presentations.


Assuntos
Agricultura , Entomologia , Humanos , Animais , Fazendas , Insetos , Estudantes
13.
J Med Entomol ; 60(5): 865-874, 2023 09 12.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37531091

RESUMO

A major lack of expertise in vector biology, surveillance, and control for public health professionals has been acknowledged over the past several decades, especially in light of the introduction of West Nile and Zika viruses to the United States. To address this growing need, the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (NEVBD) designed a unique educational program to cross-train students in the fundamentals of vector biology and public health. Here, we summarize the formation, evaluation, and outcomes of NEVBD's Master of Science in Entomology: Vector-Borne Disease Biology program and provide details on core competencies to enable adoption and adaptation of the program to other institutions and contexts. A discussion of major barriers to filling the nation's need for public health personnel with medical entomology training, such as financial barriers and recruitment of underrepresented students, is presented. We conclude with considerations for administering these training programs.


Assuntos
Doenças Transmitidas por Vetores , Infecção por Zika virus , Zika virus , Animais , Estados Unidos , Saúde Pública , Currículo , Doenças Transmitidas por Vetores/prevenção & controle , Entomologia
14.
Zootaxa ; 5311(2): 151-189, 2023 Jun 29.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37518649

RESUMO

The Carabidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) type species of Entomological Collection of the Entomology Institute housed in the Zoology Area of Miguel Lillo Foundation (FML), Tucumán, Argentina, were examined and listed. This collection is considered one of the most prestigious collections in Argentina and South America. The Carabidae family is represented by 545 species, with ten holotypes, one allotype, 12 cotypes, and 65 paratypes, which correspond to 35 species. Complete information and images for each species are given.


Assuntos
Besouros , Animais , Argentina , Insetos , Entomologia , Zoologia
15.
Med Vet Entomol ; 37(4): 767-781, 2023 12.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37477152

RESUMO

In medical, veterinary and forensic entomology, the ease and affordability of image data acquisition have resulted in whole-image analysis becoming an invaluable approach for species identification. Krawtchouk moment invariants are a classical mathematical transformation that can extract local features from an image, thus allowing subtle species-specific biological variations to be accentuated for subsequent analyses. We extracted Krawtchouk moment invariant features from binarised wing images of 759 male fly specimens from the Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae and Muscidae families (13 species and a species variant). Subsequently, we trained the Generalized, Unbiased, Interaction Detection and Estimation random forests classifier using linear discriminants derived from these features and inferred the species identity of specimens from the test samples. Fivefold cross-validation results show a 98.56 ± 0.38% (standard error) mean identification accuracy at the family level and a 91.04 ± 1.33% mean identification accuracy at the species level. The mean F1-score of 0.89 ± 0.02 reflects good balance of precision and recall properties of the model. The present study consolidates findings from previous small pilot studies of the usefulness of wing venation patterns for inferring species identities. Thus, the stage is set for the development of a mature data analytic ecosystem for routine computer image-based identification of fly species that are of medical, veterinary and forensic importance.


Assuntos
Dípteros , Muscidae , Sarcofagídeos , Animais , Masculino , Calliphoridae , Entomologia
16.
J Insect Sci ; 23(3)2023 May 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37279995

RESUMO

The 2022 student debates of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) happened during the Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Societies of America, Canada, and British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, and addressed entomological aspects beyond research and education. The Student Debates Subcommittee of the ESA Student Affairs Committee and the participating student team members communicated for 8 months and prepared for the debates. The theme of the ESA meeting in 2022 was "Entomology as inspiration: Insects through art, science, and culture". There were 2 unbiased speakers who introduced the debate topics as well as 4 teams who debated the following 2 topics: (i) Is forensic entomology viable in criminal case investigations and court cases today? and (ii) Are insects being treated ethically in scientific research? The teams prepared for about 8 months, debated their arguments, and shared their thoughts with the audience. The teams were judged by a panel and the winners were recognized at the ESA Student Awards Session during the annual meeting.


Assuntos
Insetos , Estudantes , Animais , Humanos , Entomologia , Colúmbia Britânica , Mudanças Depois da Morte
17.
Med Vet Entomol ; 37(4): 705-714, 2023 12.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37334933

RESUMO

Recent discoveries have shown that the physiological age at eclosion of forensically useful beetles differs between males and females and between beetles of various sizes. Accordingly, it was postulated that the size and sex of the beetles at eclosion may be used to calibrate their age, which may improve the accuracy of age (and post-mortem interval) estimates in forensic entomology. In this study, we derived thermal summation models for the eclosion for the Central European population of carrion beetles Thanatophilus sinuatus (Fabricius, 1775), (Staphylinidae: Silphinae), and tested the usefulness of sex and size for the calibration of beetle age at eclosion. Although in previous developmental studies, the beetles were reared individually, we reared them in larval aggregations, since in natural conditions T. sinuatus beetles are gregarious. Weak (r2 between 5% and 13%) negative correlations were observed between the size and age of T. sinuatus males or females at eclosion, demonstrating that calibration of age by beetle size and sex may bring only minimal benefits regarding the accuracy of age estimation in this species. However, it may still be worthwhile in the case of extremely large or small beetles. Moreover, the total development times recorded in this study were much shorter than in the previous T. sinuatus study, at 14°C by about 15 days and at 26°C by about 2 days. These differences emphasise the importance of gregariousness for the development of carrion beetles, and at the same time highlight the need for the ecologically-relevant protocols of development studies in forensic entomology.


Assuntos
Besouros , Mudanças Depois da Morte , Masculino , Feminino , Animais , Entomologia , Comportamento Alimentar , Besouros/fisiologia , Larva
18.
Forensic Sci Med Pathol ; 19(2): 184-191, 2023 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37243839

RESUMO

The use of recovered DNA ingested by necrophagous or hematophagous insects has increased in forensic sciences, mainly with representatives of flies. However, some beetles are also important for medico-legal forensic entomology because they feed on carcasses until advanced decomposition. This study evaluated whether the Neotropical carrion beetle Oxelytrum discicolle (Silphidae) has the potential for the detection of exogenous DNA into the gut. The whole gut or the gut contents were extracted from O. discicolle larvae and adult previously fed on pig carcass. The pig DNA recovery rate was 33.3% in larvae and 25% in adults, indicating that the carrion beetle's gut may be useful for DNA identification of ingested food. Samples with the whole gut or only gut contents showed the same DNA recovery rate. Exogenous DNA from the whole gut was recovered from samples stored in ethanol at -20 ºC for 11 days, showing that samples of O. discicolle can be stored in the forensic laboratory without loss in DNA recovery rate.


Assuntos
Besouros , Dípteros , Animais , Suínos , Larva , Entomologia , Cadáver , DNA , Comportamento Alimentar
19.
Leg Med (Tokyo) ; 64: 102269, 2023 Sep.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37201397

RESUMO

The lack of rapid and accurate species identification methods on pupae restricts the practical application of forensic entomology. It is a new idea to construct portable and rapid identification kits based on the principle of antigen/antibody interaction. Screening differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) of fly pupae is a basis of solving the problem. Here, we used the label-free proteomics technique to discover the DEPs and further validate using the parallel reaction monitoring technique (PRM) in the common flies. In this study, we reared the Chrysomya megacephala and Synthesiomyia nudiseta at constanttemperature, and then we sampled at least four pupae at 24 h intervals until the end of the intrapuparial stage. We found 132 DEPs between Ch. megacephala, and S. nudiseta groups, with 68 and 64 proteins being up-regulated and down-regulated between the two groups. Among the 132 DEPs, we selected five proteins having potential for further development and utilization, such as C1-tetrahydrofolate synthase, Malate dehydrogenase, Transferrin, Protein disulfide-isomerase, and Fructose-bisphosphate aldolase, for further validation using PRM-targeted proteomics, with the trends of PRM results being consistent with the label-free data for corresponding proteins. The present study investigated DEPs via the label-free technique during the pupal development in the Ch. megacephala, and S. nudiseta and provided reference data for development of rapid and accurate identification kits.


Assuntos
Besouros , Dípteros , Entomologia Forense , Animais , Proteômica , Entomologia/métodos , Larva
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