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Title: Water mite diversity and diets. Ecological interactions with midges, mosquitoes, and oligochaetes
Principal Investigators: Dr. Jeffrey Ram and Dr Adrian Vasquez
Mosquitoes are considered one of the deadliest animals on Earth due to their ability of carrying several diseases such as the West Nile Virus and malaria (Vasquez & Kablan et al, 2020). There are several methods to address the mosquitoes problem (chemical, mechanical, electrical,..etc). A biological solution is certainly more cost-effective, for cities affected by mosquitoes, and reduces the number of chemical pollutants currently used to combat mosquitoes (Vasquez & Kablan et al, 2020).
One of these biological solutions uses water mites. Water mites are a diverse group of organisms whose predatory and parasitic behaviors allow them to be used a bio control agent on mosquitoes. Unfortunately, the interactions between the diversity of water mites and mosquitoes remains relatively unknown.
This aim of this research is to find solutions in reducing the population of mosquitoes by identifying water mite species that eat mosquito larvae using high throughput sequencing of dietary DNA in mites. The research will involve an analysis of dietary DNA sequences of Lebertia quinquemaculosa, L. davidcooki, and other mites species. through the use of GenBank. In this research a diverse set of water mite genera will be collected and the DNA of their gut contents will be analyzed to determine which genus consumes more mosquito larvae. A recently published study using high throughput sequencing has identified chironomids, mosquitoes, and worms as part of the diets of Lebertia. An investigation of the diets of various other water mite species may reveal other species of mites that specialize in mosquito larvae predation.
Principal Investigators: Dr. Jeffrey Ram and Dr Adrian Vasquez
Mosquitoes are considered one of the deadliest animals on Earth due to their ability of carrying several diseases such as the West Nile Virus and malaria (Vasquez & Kablan et al, 2020). There are several methods to address the mosquitoes problem (chemical, mechanical, electrical,..etc). A biological solution is certainly more cost-effective, for cities affected by mosquitoes, and reduces the number of chemical pollutants currently used to combat mosquitoes (Vasquez & Kablan et al, 2020).
One of these biological solutions uses water mites. Water mites are a diverse group of organisms whose predatory and parasitic behaviors allow them to be used a bio control agent on mosquitoes. Unfortunately, the interactions between the diversity of water mites and mosquitoes remains relatively unknown.
This aim of this research is to find solutions in reducing the population of mosquitoes by identifying water mite species that eat mosquito larvae using high throughput sequencing of dietary DNA in mites. The research will involve an analysis of dietary DNA sequences of Lebertia quinquemaculosa, L. davidcooki, and other mites species. through the use of GenBank. In this research a diverse set of water mite genera will be collected and the DNA of their gut contents will be analyzed to determine which genus consumes more mosquito larvae. A recently published study using high throughput sequencing has identified chironomids, mosquitoes, and worms as part of the diets of Lebertia. An investigation of the diets of various other water mite species may reveal other species of mites that specialize in mosquito larvae predation.