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Motoyoshi Mogi

Publications and source records attributed to Motoyoshi Mogi.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Origin of pitcher plant mosquitoes in Aedes (Stegomyia): a molecular phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences.

Two mosquito species of the subgenus Stegomyia (genus Aedes) (Diptera: Culicidae) on the islands of Palau and Yap (Aedes dybasi Bohart and Aedes maehleri Bohart) are adapted to aquatic habitats occupied by Nepenthes pitcher plants. To reveal the origin of these pitcher plant mosquitoes, we attempted a molecular phylogenetic analysis with 11 Stegomyia species by using sequence data from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 16SrRNA genes as well as the nuclear 28SrRNA gene. Ae. dybasi, a pitcher plant specialist, was sister to Aedes palauensis Bohart within the scutellaris group from the same islands. Ae. maehleri, an opportunistic pitcher plant mosquito, was in a distinct lineage related to the scutellaris group. The adaptation to pitcher plants could have occurred independently in these two species, and recent differentiation of the pitcher plant mosquito Ae. dybasi from the nonpitcher plant mosquito Ae. palauensis was suggested by a relatively small sequence divergence between these species. We also discuss the implications of this analysis for the phylogeny of some other Stegomyia species.

Aedes↗

Habitats and distribution of Anopheles sinensis and associated Anopheles hyrcanus group in Japan.

Mosquito collections were carried out in August 2002 and July 2003 in Japan. Anopheles sinensis of the Hyrcanus Group, Myzomyia Series of Anopheles, was the most common species encountered. The distribution and habitats of 5 Anopheles Hyrcanus Group species are included. Eight species belonging to Aedes, Culex, and Uranotaenia were found associated with An. sinensis in rice paddies and a variety of other larval habitats.

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Emerging vectors in the Culex pipiens complex.

In the Old World, some mosquitoes in the Culex pipiens complex are excellent enzootic vectors of West Nile virus, circulating the virus among birds, whereas others bite mainly humans and other mammals. Here we show that, in northern Europe, such forms differing in behavior and physiology have unique microsatellite fingerprints with no evidence of gene flow between them, as would be expected from distinct species. In the United States, however, hybrids between these forms are ubiquitous. Such hybrids between human-biters and bird-biters may be the bridge vectors contributing to the unprecedented severity and range of the West Nile virus epidemic in North America.

Animals↗

Combining zooprophylaxis and insecticide spraying: a malaria-control strategy limiting the development of insecticide resistance in vector mosquitoes.

Strategies to eradicate the vector-borne infectious diseases (e.g. malaria and Japanese encephalitis) are often directed at controlling vectors with insecticides. Spraying insecticide, however, opens the way for the development of insecticide resistance in vectors, which may lead to the failure of disease control. In this paper, we examine whether the combined use of insecticide spray and zooprophylaxis can limit the development of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. Zooprophylaxis refers to the control of vector-borne diseases by attracting vectors to domestic animals in which the pathogen cannot amplify (a dead-end host). The human malaria parasite Plasmodium spp. has a closed transmission cycle between humans and mosquitoes, and hence cattle can serve as a dead-end host. Our model reveals that, by a suitable choice of insecticide spraying rate and cattle density and location, malaria can, in some situations, be controlled without mosquitoes developing insecticide resistance.

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Maxillae and mandibles of male mosquitoes and female autogenous mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae).

Maxillae and mandibles of males of 44 species of 12 mosquito genera and females of three autogenous genera and two partially autogenous species were examined under light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The maxillae and mandibles of male mosquitoes are delicate, tape-like structures with lengths characterizing genera or higher level classification units. Five patterns are recognized: (A) long maxillae and mandibles with mandibles longer than maxillae in Anopheles; (B) long maxillae and mandibles with maxillae longer than mandibles in Toxorhynchites; (C) short or intermediate lengths of maxillae with short mandibles in Aedes, Armigeres, Culex, Ochlerotatus, Orthopodomyia, and Uranotaenia; (D) short or intermediate length of maxillae with no mandibles in Mimomyia and Tripteroides; and (E) no maxillae and mandibles in Malaya and Topomyia. Maxillary and mandibular lengths of male mosquitoes show a positive correlation. Length of maxillae and mandibles of autogenous females are reduced to the same level as conspecific males. In contrast, females of partially autogenous species have complete maxillae and mandibles as in females of anautogenous species.

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The effects of climatic factors on the distribution and abundance of malaria vectors in Kenya.

Since 1988 malaria epidemics have occurred in multiple sites in western Kenya highlands. Climatic variability has been associated with some of the recent epidemics. We examined influences of climatic factors on the distribution and abundance of three malaria vector species, Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles arabiensis, and Anopheles funestus in western Kenya and in the Great Rift Valley. Mosquito samples were collected from the lowland and highland areas with various climatic conditions. The three vector species were abundant in the lower part of western Kenya. An. arabiensis was not found in the areas above 1,400 m elevation in western Kenya Although An. gambiae and An. funestus were found in the sites above 1,700 m in western Kenya, their densities were < 1 per house. In the Great Rift Valley, An. gambiae was not recorded. An. funestus was more widely distributed than the other two species. A stepwise multiple regression analysis found that moisture index was the most important variable in shaping species composition of the An. gambiae complex. Relative abundance of An. gambiae was positively associated with moisture index, suggesting that An. gambiae is more adapted to moist climate. Seasonal differences in species composition were significant in western Kenya, and the proportion of An. funestus was higher in the dry season than the rainy season. Influence of temperature on vector density was significant for all three species. These results imply that climate changes alter the distribution and abundance of malaria vectors in future.

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Mouthparts of male Aedes (Stegomyia) mosquitoes.

Mouthparts of adult males of 17 strains of 8 species from the subgenus Stegomyia of the genus Aedes, including 5 strains of Aedes aegypti and 6 strains of Aedes albopictus, were examined. Lengths of maxillae, mandibles, maxillary palpi, and proboscises were measured under light microscopy and their detailed structures were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Lengths were presented as ratios to proboscis lengths. In contrast to previous reports, mandibles were found in all 5 strains of male Ae. aegypti examined. Variations in maxillary and mandibular lengths were significant among strains, even within Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. High variation of these structures among and within species indicates that the average length of these structures in only 1 species may not be a reliable representative of a subgenus, and those of 1 strain may not be reliable for a species. However, their range in length (maxillae 0.13-0.50, mandibles 0.04-0.17 length of the proboscis) may be regarded as a subgeneric attribute. Maxillae and mandibles distinctly shorter than the proboscis, together with their delicate structures and the large coefficient of variation, suggest that they exist only as vestigial structures. A positive correlation was found between lengths of maxillae and those of mandibles, but mandibles are usually shorter than maxillae. The hypopharynx is discernible from the labium wall by its texture and border, and this suggests that it was a free stylet in the past.

Aedes↗

Habitat size: a factor determining the opportunity for encounters between mosquito larvae and aquatic predators.

Occurrence patterns of mosquito immatures and insect predators in containers of various sizes were surveyed in summer (June-July) and autumn (September) of 1998 in a rural area of Saga, southwestern Japan. Mosquitoes were categorized into three types in relation to habitat size. First, Aedes (Stegomyia) spp. and Tripteroides bambusa occurred mostly in small containers of < 0.1 m2. Second, Ae. japonicus and Culex kyotoensis occurred in larger container sizes, compared with the first group. Third, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus and Anopheles sinensis occurred in rice fields in summer and in large containers in the autumn. Predators such as Notonectidae, Anisoptera nymphs, and Chaoborus sp. and a predaceous mosquito Cx. halifaxii occurred mainly in large (> or = 0.1 m2) containers. The mosquitoes of the third group showed similarities with predators in the occurrence of each habitat type, and they frequently co-occurred with predators. The mosquitoes of the first group showed less similarity with predators in habitat type preference, and they rarely co-occurred with predators. The second group mosquitoes showed intermediate patterns of the first and the third groups.

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