Effects of the environmental conditions and seasonality on a population survey of the Andean condor Vultur gryphus in the tropical Andes.

Background: Among the New World vultures, the Andean condor is considered one of the most culturally and ecologically important species. However, their populations are declining over their entire distributional range. In response, conservation strategies have been implemented in many countries to reverse the increasing extinction risk of this species. The initiatives rely on extensive population surveys to gather basic information necessary to implement policies and to intervene efficiently. Still, there is a need to standardize the surveys based on seasonality and suitable environmental conditions throughout the species distribution. Here, we provide the first assessment of how daily temperature, rainfall, and seasonality influence surveys of Andean condors on a communal roost in the central Peruvian Andes. Methods: Using an autoregressive generalized linear model, we associated environmental variables with visual surveys of adult and young condors at three different times of the day and three times a week between June 2014 and March 2015. Results: We found that both adults and young Andean condors showed a threefold reduction in the use of the communal roost after the beginning of the rainy season. Colder and drier days (dry season) are preferable for surveying, as we expect the total number of condors using communal roosts to reduce under rainy (rainfall = -0.53 ± 0.16) and warmer days (temperature = -0.04 ± 0.02) days. Therefore, the significant variation in the use of roosts across seasons and hours should be carefully accounted for in national surveys, at the risk of undermining the full potential of the communal roost surveys. Moreover, we also found a strong bias towards immatures (about 76%) in the adult:immature ratio and a remarkable absence of Andean condors during the wet season. These results suggest that the species might be using other unknown communal roosts hierarchically. Such results provide key information for selecting priority areas for conservation and selecting the best time to survey this species in the tropical Andes. Finally, it may open a fruitful avenue for further research on the protection of the Andean condor.

Efecto bioinsecticida del extracto etanólico de las semillas de Annona cherimolia Miller "chirimoya" y A. muricata Linneaus "guanábana" sobre larvas del IV estadio de Anopheles sp / Larvicidal effectiveness of the ethanolic extract of Annona cherimolia

En vista del incremento de la resistencia a los insecticidas químicos frente al control de mosquitos vectores de enfermedades metaxénicas, es que se vienen realizando la búsqueda de métodos alternativos, utilizando extractos de plantas con actividad larvicida debido a su capacidad de biodegradación generando menor daño ambiental. Bajo esta premisa, el objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la mortalidad de larvas del IV estadio de Anopheles sp. mediante el extracto etanólico de las semillas de A. cherimolia (E1) y A. muricata (E2). Los mayores porcentajes de mortalidad, corregidos por la fórmula de Abbott, fueron de 100 por ciento a las 24 horas de exposición a la concentración de 0,8 y 0,12 ml/100 mL en E1 y E2, respectivamente, observándose un mayor efecto tóxico larvario a favor de E2 sobre E1 en 4,58 por ciento de mortalidad. El análisis probit mostró un patrón de respuesta heterogéneo de las larvas a las concentraciones letales al 50 por ciento (Cl50) y al 90 por ciento (CL90) a lo largo de todos los tiempos de evaluación y una mayor homogeneidad a los tiempos letales al 50 por ciento (TL50) y al 90 por ciento (TL90) a medida que aumentaban las concentraciones de los extractos. Asimismo, la forma de las rectas de regresión muestran individuos larvarios con diferentes susceptibilidades a los extractos, lo que establece diferentes poblaciones o genotipos intervientes. El trabajo permitió demostrar el efecto larvicida de ambas semillas y subraya la necesidad de realizar mayores ensayos in vitro como alternativa al control de insectos de importancia en salud pública.

The triatomines of northern Peru, with emphasis on the ecology and infection by trypanosomes of Rhodnius ecuadoriensis (Triatominae).

Information on the distribution and synanthropic behaviour of triatomines is essential for Chagas disease vector control. This work summarises such information from northern Peru, and presents new data on Rhodnius ecuadoriensis - an important local vector infesting 10-35% of dwellings in some zones. Three species are strongly synanthropic and may be suitable targets for chemical control of domestic/peridomestic bug populations. Panstrongylus herreri, the main domestic vector in the area, is probably present in sylvatic ecotopes in the Marañón river system. R. ecuadoriensis and Triatoma dimidiata seem exclusively domestic; biogeographical and ecological data suggest they might have spread in association with humans in northern Peru. Confirmation of this hypothesis would result in a local eradication strategy being recommended. Presence of trypanosome natural infection was assessed in 257 R. ecuadoriensis; Trypanosoma rangeli was detected in 4% of bugs. Six further triatomine species are potential disease vectors in the region (T. carrioni, P. chinai, P. rufotuberculatus, P. geniculatus, R. pictipes, and R. robustus), whilst Eratyrus mucronatus, E. cuspidatus, Cavernicola pilosa, Hermanlentia matsunoi, and Belminus peruvianus have little or no epidemiological significance. A strong community-based entomological surveillance system and collaboration with Ecuadorian public health authorities and researchers are recommended.

The triatomines of northern Peru, with emphasis on the ecology and infection by Trypanosomes of Rhodnius ecuadoriensis (Triatominae)

Information on the distribution and synanthropic behaviour of triatomines is essential for Chagas disease vector control. This work summarises such information from northern Peru, and presents new data on Rhodnius ecuadoriensis - an important local vector infesting 10-35 percent of dwellings in some zones. Three species are strongly synanthropic and may be suitable targets for chemical control of domestic/peridomestic bug populations. Panstrongylus herreri, the main domestic vector in the area, is probably present in sylvatic ecotopes in the Marañón river system. R. ecuadoriensis and Triatoma dimidiata seem exclusively domestic; biogeographical and ecological data suggest they might have spread in association with humans in northern Peru. Confirmation of this hypothesis would result in a local eradication strategy being recommended. Presence of trypanosome natural infection was assessed in 257 R. ecuadoriensis; Trypanosoma rangeli was detected in 4 percent of bugs. Six further triatomine species are potential disease vectors in the region (T. carrioni, P. chinai, P. rufotuberculatus, P. geniculatus, R. pictipes, and R. robustus), whilst Eratyrus mucronatus, E. cuspidatus, Cavernicola pilosa, Hermanlentia matsunoi, and Belminus peruvianus have little or no epidemiological significance. A strong community-based entomological surveillance system and collaboration with Ecuadorian public health authorities and researchers are recommended