Linking Mosquito Ecology, Traits, Behavior, and Disease Transmission

Trends Parasitol. 2020 Apr;36(4):393-403. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.02.001. Epub 2020 Mar 4.

Abstract

Mosquitoes are considered to be the deadliest animals on Earth because the diseases they transmit claim at least a million human lives every year globally. Here, we discuss the scales at which the effects of ecological factors cascade to influence epidemiologically relevant behaviors of adult mosquitoes. In particular, we focused our review on the environmental conditions (coarse-scale variables) that shape the life-history traits of larvae and adult mosquitoes (fine-scale traits), and how these factors and their association, in turn, modulate adult behaviors to influence mosquito-borne disease transmission. Finally, we explore the integration of physical, physiological, and behavioral information into predictive models with epidemiological applications.

Keywords: keystone trait; life-history traits; mosquito-borne disease dynamics; predictive modeling; trait-mediated effects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / physiology*
  • Culicidae / parasitology
  • Culicidae / physiology*
  • Environment*
  • Humans
  • Larva
  • Life History Traits
  • Mosquito Vectors / parasitology
  • Mosquito Vectors / physiology*
  • Vector Borne Diseases / epidemiology
  • Vector Borne Diseases / transmission*