Data from: Divergent host preferences of above- and below-ground Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) and their hybrid offspring.

Fritz, Megan L., Michigan State University

Walker, Edward D., Michigan State University

Miller, James R., Michigan State University

Severson, David W., Notre Dame University

Dworkin, Ian, Michigan State University

Published Nov 24, 2015 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.r4019

Cite this dataset

Fritz, Megan L. et al. (2015). Data from: Divergent host preferences of above- and below-ground Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) and their hybrid offspring. [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.r4019

Abstract

Culex pipiens form pipiens and Cx. pipiens form molestus (Diptera: Culicidae) belong to a cosmopolitan taxonomic group known as the Pipiens Assemblage. Hybridization between these forms is thought to contribute to human transmission of West Nile virus (WNV) in North America. Complementary choice and no-choice landing assays were developed to examine host acceptance by North American Cx. pipiens in the laboratory. Populations collected from above- and below-ground sites in suburban Chicago were identified as forms pipiens and molestus using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay. Avian and human host acceptance was then quantified for the two populations, as well as for their hybrid and backcross offspring. No-choice tests were used to demonstrate that both the pipiens and molestus forms were capable of feeding on human and avian hosts. Choice tests were used to demonstrate that form pipiens females were strongly avian-seeking; an individual's probability of accepting the chick host was 85%. Form molestus females were more likely to accept the human host (87%). Rates of host acceptance by F1 and backcross progeny were intermediate to those of their parents. The results suggest that host preferences in Cx. pipiens are genetically determined, and that ongoing hybridization between above- and below-ground populations is an important contributor to epizootic transmission of WNV in North America.

Usage notes

culex_nochoice_assay_data

File is structured so that there is one individual per line. Variable "chick.age" represents the age of the chick host used in weeks. "Response" is a binomial variable, where 1 = landing on the host, and 0 = no response. "time" represents time to landing in seconds. "landing.site" is a multinomial response, where h = head, b = breast, l = legs, w = wings, and t = tail feathers and rump. Landing site was only measure in no-choice tests where the chick was used.

culex_host_choice_assay_data

Data are in long format, where each observation per mosquito is provided on its own line. "mosq.id" is a unique identifier for each mosquito. "host" represents the choice made during the assay, where "h" represents human, "c" represents chick, and "n" represents no-choice made during the 16 min test period. "Date.test" represents the date each mosquito BEGAN testing. "time" corresponds day of testing in multi-day longitudinal tests, where time = 1 represents the first day of testing. "chick.no" represents the unique identifier of an individual chick used during testing. "strain" represents the population that each mosquito belonged to: cpm = Culex pipiens molestus, cpc = Culex pipiens pipiens, f1 = hybrid progeny of cpm and cpc, bcpip = hybrid progeny of f1 and cpc, bcmol = hybrid progeny of f1 and cpm.