ABSTRACT
The life history aspects of dormancy of the weevil Anthonomus rufipennis LeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) were studied a 57-month period in a seasonally dry tropical forest of central Mexico. Weevil populations and their physiological status were monitored on both the reproductive host tree, Senna polyantha (Collad.) H.S: Irwin & Barneby (Fabales: Fabaceae) and the highly favored refuge host, Tillandsia recurvata L. (Poales: Bromeliaceae) or "ball moss." During the dry season, weevils were only found on the refuge host with a mean total density of 1.014 ± 2.532 individuals/ball moss (Nâ =â 1,681). Weevil densities on T. recurvata between early and late dry seasons were not significantly different, suggesting that dry season survival was relatively high. Weevils collected during these seasons revealed little reproductive development and relatively high-fat accumulation in both sexes. During 5 of 6 yr, densities of the weevils in T. recurvata dropped significantly during the early rainy seasons, when the reproductive host trees leafed out and began producing oviposition sites (flower buds). At this time, more males than females initially moved to vegetative trees and showed significant signs of reproductive development. Recolonization of ball moss by weevils began during the late rainy season when oviposition sites (flower buds) were still available. A proportion of the weevils remained on the reproductive host, suggesting that A. rufipennis is facultatively multivoltine. The methodologies and results of the study can serve as a model system for future studies of the dormancy of other insects in dry tropical forests and provide insight into the dormancy of other anthonomine weevils of economic importance.
ABSTRACT
Rabies is a zoonotic disease that affects livestock worldwide. The distribution of rabies is highly correlated with the distribution of the vampire bat Desmodus rotundus, the main vector of the disease. In this study, climatic, topographic, livestock population, vampire distribution and urban and rural zones were used to estimate the risk for presentation of cases of rabies in Mexico by co- Kriging interpolation. The highest risk for the presentation of cases is in the endemic areas of the disease, i.e. the States of Yucatán, Chiapas, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Nayarit and Baja California Sur. A transition zone for cases was identified across northern Mexico, involving the States of Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, and Durango. The variables topography, vampire distribution, bovine population and rural zones are the most important to explain the risk of cases in livestock. This study provides robust estimates of risk and spread of rabies based on geostatistical methods. The information presented should be useful for authorities responsible of public and animal health when they plan and establish strategies preventing the spread of rabies into rabies-free regions of México.
Subject(s)
Chiroptera , Rabies , Animals , Cattle , Rabies/epidemiology , Rabies/veterinary , Mexico/epidemiology , Risk Factors , Environment , LivestockABSTRACT
The spatio-temporal epidemiology of rabies has related the influence of environmental factors and anthropogenic changes on the movements of the hematophagous bat Desmodus rotundus. In Mexico, D. rotundus is the main transmitter of the rabies virus for different livestock species, modifying annually the fluctuation of the number of cases of rabies and its dissemination in subtropical areas and regions considered free of the disease. The purpose of this study was to perform a descriptive analysis of the distribution of cases of rabies in Mexico, and to perform a time-series analysis to evaluate stationarity and to predict the number of cases for the following year. A total of 3,469 cases were reported in the period of interest, of which the 89.1% occurred in cattle, 4.3% in horses, 1.5% in sheep, 0.6% in goats, 0.01% in pig, 3.1% in vampire bats, 0.3% in cervids, 0.2% in skunks, 0.1% in insectivorous bats, 0.1% in foxes, 0.1% in buffaloes, and 0.02% in coatis; 0.5% were not identified. The most frequent antigenic variants reported were AgV11, AgV5, and AgV3, associated with D. rotundus. The distribution of cases in bats correlates with the distribution of cases in domestic and wild animals; however, cases were observed in wild species in non-endemic areas of Mexico, like the State of Chihuahua. The additive model used in the time-series analysis showed a seasonal pattern with a peak of cases at the beginning of each year, from January to March. The model showed a good predicting value; the Pearson correlation coefficient R2 was 0.705. The highest probability for the occurrence of rabies cases in the different species estimated by Ordinary Kriging was in the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, involving the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Chiapas, and Yucatan. This study confirms that rabies in domestic and wild species is endemic in tropical and subtropical areas-however, cases have been observed in new geographic areas-and provides useful information to support actions to stop the spread of the rabies virus or the reservoir, and for planning vaccination strategies considering time and place.
ABSTRACT
The species of the genus Tylodinus from the Mexican state of Chiapas are revised. We examined 989 specimens representing 36 species; 23 species are grouped into eight species groups with 13 species considered as Incertae sedis. A total of 32 species are described as new and one species is a new record for México. Species groups (numbers of species in parentheses) and species are: Tylodinus buchanani species group (6) T. buchanani new species (type locality: Chiapas, Unión Juárez, Volcán Tacan), T. exiguus new species (type locality: Chiapas, Motozintla, 7 km SSW Motozintla de Mendoza), T. ixchel new species (type locality: Chiapas, Unión Juarez, Volcán Tacan), T. jonesi new species (type locality: Chiapas, Angel Albino Corzo, Reserva de la Biosfera el Triunfo, Campamento el Quetzal), T. variabilis new species (type locality: Chiapas, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Cerro Huitepec), T. wibmeri new species (type locality: Chiapas, Motozintla, 7 km SSW Motozintla de Mendoza); Tylodinus canaliculatus species group (3) T. canaliculatus Champion (Chiapas, Unión Juárez, Volcán Tacan, new record for México), T. sepulturaensis new species (Type locality: Chiapas, Villa Corzo, Ejido Sierra Morena), T. triumforium new species (Type locality: Chiapas, La Concordia, 4 km SE Custepec); Tylodinus cavicrus species group (3) T. cavicrus Champion, T. pseudocavicrus new species (type locality: Chiapas, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Cerro Huitepec), T. rugosus new species (type locality: Chiapas, Villa Flores, Sierra Morena); Tylodinus coapillensis species group (2) T. coapillensis new species (type locality: Chiapas, Coapilla, ca. 10.5 km NE Coapilla), T. leoncortesi new species (type locality: Chiapas, Pueblo Nuevo Solistahuacán, La Yerbabuena); Tylodinus mutabilis species group (2) Tylodinus mutabilis new species (type locality: Chiapas, Villa Corzo, Ejido Sierra Morena), T. parvus new species (type locality: Chiapas, Trinitaria, Lagunas de Montebello); Tylodinus nodulosus species group (3) T. andersoni new species (Chiapas, Ángel Albino Corzo, Reserva El Triunfo, Polígono 1), T. nodulosus (Boheman), T. zilchi Kuschel; Tylodinus pusillus species group (2) T. porvenirensis new species (type locality: Chiapas, El Porvenir, El Porvenir (2 km NE)), T. pusillus new species (type locality: Chiapas, 4 km SE Custepec); Tylodinus spiniventris species group (2) T. lum new species (Chiapas, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Cerro Huitepec), and T. spiniventris new species (type locality: Chiapas, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Reserva Huitepec); Incertae sedis (13) T. pinguis new species (type locality: Chiapas, Ángel Albino Corzo, Reserva El Triunfo, Polígono 1) , T. kissingeri new species (type locality: Chiapas, Tapalapa, ca. 14 km NE Coapilla), T. complicatus new species (type locality: Chiapas, Pueblo Nuevo Solistahuacán, La Yerbabuena), T. dominicus new species (type locality: Chiapas, Villa Corzo, Reserva de la Biósfera La Sepultura), T. noctis new species (type locality: Chiapas, Coapilla, ca. 10.5 km NE Coapilla), T. rufus new species (type locality: Chiapas, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Cerro Huitepec); T. branstetteri new species (type locality: Chiapas, La Concordia, 4 km SE Custepec), T. kuscheli new species (type locality: Chiapas, Villa Flores, Ejido Sierra Morena), T. pappi new species (type locality: Chiapas, Unión Juárez, Volcán Tacan), T. gibbosus new species (type locality: Chiapas, Pueblo Nuevo Solistahuacán, Yerbabuena Reserve), T. immundus new species (type locality: Chiapas, San Cristóbal de las Casas Cerro Huitepec), T. intzin new species (type locality: Chiapas, Tenejapa, Yashanal), T. elongatus new species (type locality: Chiapas, Ángel Albino Corzo, Reserva El Triunfo, Polígono 1). Three species (T. nodulosus (Boheman), T. zilchi Kuschel and T. cavicrus Champion) are not known to occur in Chiapas but were included in this study to be more representative of inter- and intraspecific variation and to provide a better definition of the taxonomic limits of species and species groups. Species groups are characterized and taxonomic composition and general distribution and ecological correlates summarized. Diagnoses and distributions are given for all species and ecological information is presented where available. Immature stages, life history and food habits are not known for any of the species.
