ArticleParasites & vectors2021
Blood-feeding ecology of mosquitoes in two zoological gardens in the United Kingdom.
Article in Parasites & vectors, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Updated occurrence and bionomics of potential malaria vectors in Europe: a systematic review (2000-2021).Parasites & vectors · 2022Pooled it
- A comparative assessment of mosquito trapping methods for vector surveillance in Scotland.Parasites & vectors · 2026Article
- Assessing the performance of bloodfed mosquito collection strategies in Australia.Journal of medical entomology · 2026Article
- Monitoring biodiversity and detection of diverse vertebrate species with mosquito blood meal analysis at the DeLuca Preserve, Florida, USA.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Mosquitoes in small urban spaces: identification of blood meals and flight distances of engorged females in the southern Great Plains of the United States.Journal of medical entomology · 2025Article
- Spatial distribution of Culex mosquitoes across England and Wales, July 2023.Parasites & vectors · 2025Article
- Host attraction and host feeding patterns indicate generalist feeding of Culex pipiens s.s. and Cx. torrentium.Parasites & vectors · 2024Article
- Blood-feeding patterns of Culex pipiens biotype pipiens and pipiens/molestus hybrids in relation to avian community composition in urban habitats.Parasites & vectors · 2024Article
- Surveillance ofHeliyon · 2024Article
- Field-based assessments of the seasonality of Culex pipiens sensu lato in England: an important enzootic vector of Usutu and West Nile viruses.Parasites & vectors · 2024Article
- Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Fauna of a Zoological Park in an Urban Setting: Analysis ofInsects · 2024Article
- Article
- Effects of storage conditions and digestion time on DNA amplification of biting midge (Culicoides) blood meals.Parasites & vectors · 2023Article
- Molecular and epidemiological surveillance ofInternational journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife · 2022Article
- Host selection and forage ratio in West Nile virus-transmitting Culex mosquitoes: Challenges and knowledge gaps.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Review
- Putative roles of mosquitoes (Culicidae) and biting midges (Culicoides spp.) as mechanical or biological vectors of lumpy skin disease virus.Medical and veterinary entomology · 2022Article
- Combining host and vector data informs emergence and potential impact of an Usutu virus outbreak in UK wild birds.Scientific reports · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundZoological gardens contain unique configurations of exotic and endemic animals and plants that create a diverse range of developing sites and potential sources of blood meals for local mosquitoes. This may imply unusual interspecific pathogen transmission risks involving zoo vertebrates, like avian malaria to captive penguins. Understanding mosquito ecology and host feeding patterns is necessary to improve mosquito control and disease prevention measures in these environments.
methodsMosquito sampling took place in Chester Zoo for 3 years (2017, 2018, and 2019) and for 1 year in Flamingo Land (2017) using different trapping methods. Blood-fed mosquitoes were identified and their blood meal was amplified by PCR, sequenced, and blasted for host species identification.
resultsIn total, 640 blood-fed mosquitoes were collected [Culex pipiens (n = 497), Culiseta annulata (n = 81), Anopheles maculipennis s.l. (n = 7), An. claviger (n = 1), and unidentifiable (n = 55)]. Successful identification of the host species was achieved from 159 blood-fed mosquitoes. Mosquitoes fed on birds (n = 74), non-human mammals (n = 20), and humans (n = 71). There were mixed blood meals from two hosts (n = 6). The proportions of blood-fed mosquitoes varied across sampling seasons and sites within the zoos. The use of resting traps and aspiration of vegetation were more efficient techniques for capturing blood-fed mosquitoes than traps for host-seeking or gravid mosquitoes. By relating the locations of zoo vertebrates to where fed mosquitoes were trapped, the minimum travelling distances were calculated (13.7 to 366.7 m). Temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, proximity to zoo vertebrate exhibits, and vegetation level were found to be significantly associated with the proportion of captured blood-fed mosquitoes by generalized linear modelling.
conclusionsMosquito feeding behaviour in zoos is mainly influenced by time, location (sampling area), temperature, and host availability, which highlights the value of mosquito monitoring in complex settings to plan control strategies and potentially reduce inherent disease transmission risks for humans and threatened zoo vertebrates.
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