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Aborted adult: some Culex quinquefasciatus adults were unable to fully complete their development when fed on Neochloris aquatica supplemented with a balanced diet
Culex quinquefasciatus has a relevant role in the transmission of diseases of importance to veterinary and human health. Larvae feed on several microorganisms, including microalgae. One of them, identified as Neochloris aquatica, was isolated from an artificial breeding site where there were no immature stages of mosquitoes. Although it is chosen by gravid females to lay their eggs, the microalga had a negative effect on the development of larvae. Additionally, when the larvae were fed with a culture of alga supplemented with balanced food, they were not able to reverse its effect, and were unable to complete development until adulthood. [Gil, et al. (2021), Culex quinquefasciatus larvae development arrested when fed on Neochloris aquatica
Image Credit: M Florencia Gil
Citation: (2021) PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Issue Image | Vol. 15(12) December 2021. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 15(12): ev15.i12. https://doi.org/10.1371/image.pntd.v15.i12
Published: December 31, 2021
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Public Domain declaration which stipulates that, once placed in the public domain, this work may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose.
Culex quinquefasciatus has a relevant role in the transmission of diseases of importance to veterinary and human health. Larvae feed on several microorganisms, including microalgae. One of them, identified as Neochloris aquatica, was isolated from an artificial breeding site where there were no immature stages of mosquitoes. Although it is chosen by gravid females to lay their eggs, the microalga had a negative effect on the development of larvae. Additionally, when the larvae were fed with a culture of alga supplemented with balanced food, they were not able to reverse its effect, and were unable to complete development until adulthood. [Gil, et al. (2021), Culex quinquefasciatus larvae development arrested when fed on Neochloris aquatica
Image Credit: M Florencia Gil