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Rocha VC, Martins GF. Midgut morphology of the predator mosquito Lutzia bigoti (Diptera: Culicidae) and its implications for feeding behavior. Acta Trop 2024; 257:107289. [PMID: 38878848 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Lutzia mosquitoes (Theobald, 1903) are predaceous during their larval stages, but the adult feeding is not clearly understood, especially in relation to blood feeding. In case these mosquitoes are harmless to humans and related animals, they can be useful in biological control of mosquito vectors of pathogens. Investigating the midgut morphology is a good strategy to understand the feeding behavior of this species. The midgut in Lutzia bigoti Bellardi, 1862 displays two distinct portions, a thin anterior midgut and a more dilated posterior midgut. Digestive cells form a single epithelium in the midgut. These cells have long and packed microvilli at their apex and membrane infoldings at their basal portion, the basal labyrinth. The epithelium is supported by a basal lamina. Regarding their cytoplasm, it is noteworthy the abundance of mitochondria, distributed in an apical-basal fashion, and also a whirl-shaped endoplasmic reticulum in the posterior midgut. Basal cells are also found in the midgut of L. bigoti, resembling regenerative cells. The general organization of L. bigoti's midgut closely resembles that of numerous hematophagous mosquitoes previously documented. However, it diverges due to the presence of a peritrophic matrix even when exclusively fed on sugary solutions. Peculiar aspects of L. bigoti's midgut are discussed and compared to those of other mosquito species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinícius Cordeiro Rocha
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Ferreira Martins
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais 36570-900, Brazil.
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Melgarejo-Colmenares K, Vezzani D, Gallego A, Cardo MV. Blood meal sources of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in domestic and open green environments from two urbanisations of temperate Argentina. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024; 114:30-40. [PMID: 38112065 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485323000573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the blood-feeding patterns of mosquitoes is essential for evaluating their potential as disease vectors, especially in urban areas where mosquitoes coexist with humans, domestic animals and wildlife. This study aimed to bridge a substantial gap in regional knowledge by identifying the blood meal sources of field-collected mosquitoes in domestic and open green environments from two urbanisations of temperate Argentina, the Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA) and Tandil, using molecular techniques. Female mosquitoes were collected from November 2019 to March 2020 and April-May 2021. A bipartite network analysis was performed for each environment and urbanisation. A total of 103 blood meals from Aedes (2 species) and Culex (7 species) were identified. Among these, five mammal and 18 bird species were recognised as hosts. Aedes mosquitoes exclusively fed on mammals, while Culex mosquitoes exhibited a broader host range including both birds and mammals. In AMBA, the open green environments were composed by more mosquito species than the domestic environments, while both presented similar numbers of vertebrate species. In contrast, in open green environments from Tandil only blood-fed Aedes albifasciatus were collected. For open green environments of AMBA and domestic environments of Tandil, results suggested some degree of host selection. For the three main vectors of diseases in the region, Aedes aegypti, Ae. albifasciatus and Culex pipiens molestus, we present the first molecular evidence of human blood meals in South America. Epidemiological significance of the present findings is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karelly Melgarejo-Colmenares
- IIIA-UNSAM-CONICET, Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental, Escuela de Hábitat y Sostenibilidad, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Darío Vezzani
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto Multidisciplinario sobre Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustentable, UNCPBA-CICPBA, Tandil, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejandra Gallego
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto Multidisciplinario sobre Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustentable, UNCPBA-CICPBA, Tandil, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María V Cardo
- IIIA-UNSAM-CONICET, Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental, Escuela de Hábitat y Sostenibilidad, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Croce AC, Garbelli A, Moyano A, Soldano S, Tejeda-Guzmán C, Missirlis F, Scolari F. Developmental and Nutritional Dynamics of Malpighian Tubule Autofluorescence in the Asian Tiger Mosquito Aedes albopictus. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:245. [PMID: 38203417 PMCID: PMC10778832 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Malpighian tubules (MTs) are arthropod excretory organs crucial for the osmoregulation, detoxification and excretion of xenobiotics and metabolic wastes, which include tryptophan degradation products along the kynurenine (KYN) pathway. Specifically, the toxic intermediate 3-hydroxy kynurenine (3-HK) is metabolized through transamination to xanthurenic acid or in the synthesis of ommochrome pigments. Early investigations in Drosophila larval fat bodies revealed an intracellular autofluorescence (AF) that depended on tryptophan administration. Subsequent observations documented AF changes in the MTs of Drosophila eye-color mutants genetically affecting the conversion of tryptophan to KYN or 3-HK and the intracellular availability of zinc ions. In the present study, the AF properties of the MTs in the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, were characterized in different stages of the insect's life cycle, tryptophan-administered larvae and blood-fed adult females. Confocal imaging and microspectroscopy showed AF changes in the distribution of intracellular, brilliant granules and in the emission spectral shape and amplitude between the proximal and distal segments of MTs across the different samples. The findings suggest AF can serve as a promising marker for investigating the functional status of MTs in response to metabolic alterations, contributing to the use of MTs as a potential research model in biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Cleta Croce
- Institute of Molecular Genetics IGM CNR “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza”, Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.G.); (A.M.); (S.S.)
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Anna Garbelli
- Institute of Molecular Genetics IGM CNR “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza”, Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.G.); (A.M.); (S.S.)
| | - Andrea Moyano
- Institute of Molecular Genetics IGM CNR “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza”, Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.G.); (A.M.); (S.S.)
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Sara Soldano
- Institute of Molecular Genetics IGM CNR “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza”, Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.G.); (A.M.); (S.S.)
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Carlos Tejeda-Guzmán
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Neuroscience, Cinvestav, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (C.T.-G.); (F.M.)
| | - Fanis Missirlis
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Neuroscience, Cinvestav, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (C.T.-G.); (F.M.)
| | - Francesca Scolari
- Institute of Molecular Genetics IGM CNR “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza”, Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.G.); (A.M.); (S.S.)
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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Cardo MV, Vezzani D. Host-mosquito interactions in rural and urban equestrian facilities from temperate Argentina. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:816-825. [PMID: 37565364 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Targeted vector surveillance informed by data on mosquito biting patterns can help limit arboviral zoonotic diseases. To characterise host-biting networks in rural and urban equestrian facilities from temperate Argentina, adult resting mosquitoes were collected (December 2018-April 2019) with a battery-powered aspirator. Engorged females were sorted to species, and their blood source was identified using molecular techniques. Bipartite network analysis was performed for rural and urban matrices. A total of 177 bloodmeals from 11 mosquito species of Aedes and Culex were identified, with seven mammal and 17 bird species recognised as hosts. Mammals represented 61% of the total feeds, mainly horse, dog and sheep; the best represented avian hosts were Columbiformes. Aedes species and Culex maxi fed only on mammals, while most other Culex species presented a wide range of hosts. The rural network had more nodes and interactions than its urban counterpart, both with some degree of host selection and aggregated patterns according to network indices. Culex quinquefasciatus was the strongest species in both networks, whereas Culex apicinus and Culex dolosus had a prominent role in the rural network. Bipartite network analysis will contribute to understanding the effects of urbanisation in the dynamics of vector-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- María V Cardo
- IIIA-UNSAM-CONICET, Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental, Escuela de Hábitat y Sostenibilidad, San Martín, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Darío Vezzani
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto Multidisciplinario sobre Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustentable, UNCPBA-CICPBA, Tandil, Argentina
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Devillers J, Larghi A, Sartor V, Setier-Rio ML, Lagneau C, Devillers H. Nonlinear SAR Modelling of Mosquito Repellents for Skin Application. TOXICS 2023; 11:837. [PMID: 37888688 PMCID: PMC10610853 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11100837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Finding new marketable mosquito repellents is a complex and time-consuming process that can be optimized via modelling. In this context, a SAR (Structure-Activity Relationship) model was designed from a set of 2171 molecules whose actual repellent activity against Aedes aegypti was available. Information-rich descriptors were used as input neurons of a three-layer perceptron (TLP) to compute the models. The most interesting classification model was a 20/6/2 TLP showing 94% and 89% accuracy on the training set and test set, respectively. A total of 57 other artificial neural network models based on the same architecture were also computed. This allowed us to consider all chemicals both as training and test set members in order to better interpret the results obtained with the selected model. Most of the wrong predictions were explainable. The 20/6/2 TLP model was then used for predicting the potential repellent activity of new molecules. Among them, two were successfully evaluated in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adeline Larghi
- EID Méditerranée, Direction Technique, 34184 Montpellier, France
| | - Valérie Sartor
- Laboratoire des IMRCP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS UMR 5623, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | | | | | - Hugo Devillers
- SPO, University Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro, 34000 Montpellier, France
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Mbewe RB, Keven JB, Mangani C, Wilson ML, Mzilahowa T, Mathanga DP, Valim C, Laufer MK, Walker ED, Cohee LM. Genotyping of Anopheles mosquito blood meals reveals nonrandom human host selection: implications for human-to-mosquito Plasmodium falciparum transmission. Malar J 2023; 22:115. [PMID: 37029433 PMCID: PMC10080529 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04541-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Control of malaria parasite transmission can be enhanced by understanding which human demographic groups serve as the infectious reservoirs. Because vector biting can be heterogeneous, some infected individuals may contribute more to human-to-mosquito transmission than others. Infection prevalence peaks in school-age children, but it is not known how often they are fed upon. Genotypic profiling of human blood permits identification of individual humans who were bitten. The present investigation used this method to estimate which human demographic groups were most responsible for transmitting malaria parasites to Anopheles mosquitoes. It was hypothesized that school-age children contribute more than other demographic groups to human-to-mosquito malaria transmission. METHODS In a region of moderate-to-high malaria incidence in southeastern Malawi, randomly selected households were surveyed to collect human demographic information and blood samples. Blood-fed, female Anopheles mosquitoes were sampled indoors from the same houses. Genomic DNA from human blood samples and mosquito blood meals of human origin was genotyped using 24 microsatellite loci. The resultant genotypes were matched to identify which individual humans were sources of blood meals. In addition, Plasmodium falciparum DNA in mosquito abdomens was detected with polymerase chain reaction. The combined results were used to identify which humans were most frequently bitten, and the P. falciparum infection prevalence in mosquitoes that resulted from these blood meals. RESULTS Anopheles females selected human hosts non-randomly and fed on more than one human in 9% of the blood meals. Few humans contributed most of the blood meals to the Anopheles vector population. Children ≤ 5 years old were under-represented in mosquito blood meals while older males (31-75 years old) were over-represented. However, the largest number of malaria-infected blood meals was from school age children (6-15 years old). CONCLUSIONS The results support the hypothesis that humans aged 6-15 years are the most important demographic group contributing to the transmission of P. falciparum to the Anopheles mosquito vectors. This conclusion suggests that malaria control and prevention programmes should enhance efforts targeting school-age children and males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rex B Mbewe
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
- Department of Physics and Biochemical Sciences, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.
| | - John B Keven
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Charles Mangani
- Malaria Alert Center, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Mark L Wilson
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Themba Mzilahowa
- Malaria Alert Center, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Don P Mathanga
- Malaria Alert Center, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Clarissa Valim
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Miriam K Laufer
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Edward D Walker
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Lauren M Cohee
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Host Feeding Patterns of Mansonia (Diptera, Culicidae) in Rural Settlements near Porto Velho, State of Rondonia, Brazil. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13030553. [PMID: 36979487 PMCID: PMC10046320 DOI: 10.3390/biom13030553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquito females of the genus Mansonia (Blanchard) can be a nuisance to humans and animals since they are voraciously hematophagous and feed on the blood of a variety of vertebrates. Despite their relevance, there is a lack of investigation into the blood-feeding patterns of the Mansonia species. Knowledge of the host preference is crucial in establishing the public health importance of a mosquito species and its potential to be involved in the transmission dynamics of pathogens. Species that are primarily anthropophilic can be more effective in spreading vector-borne pathogens to humans. In this study, we used an Illumina Nextera sequencing protocol and the QIIME2 workflow to assess the diversity of DNA sequences extracted in the ingested blood of mosquito species to evaluate the overall and local host choices for three species: Ma. titillans, Ma. Amazonensis, and Ma. humeralis, in rural areas alongside the Madeira River in the vicinities of the Santo Antonio Energia (SAE) reservoir in the municipality of Porto Velho, Rondônia, Western Brazil. By performing our analysis pipeline, we have found that host diversity per collection site showed a significant heterogeneity across the sample sites. In addition, in rural areas, Ma. amazonensis present a high affinity for B. taurus, Ma. humeralis shows an overall preference for C. familiaris and B. taurus, but also H. sapiens and E. caballus in urban areas, and Ma. titillans showed more opportunistic behavior in rural areas, feeding on wild animals and G. gallus, though with an overall preference for H. sapiens.
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Cardo MV, Carbajo AE, Mozzoni C, Kliger M, Vezzani D. Blood feeding patterns of the Culex pipiens complex in equestrian land uses and their implications for arboviral encephalitis risk in temperate Argentina. Zoonoses Public Health 2022; 70:256-268. [PMID: 36575644 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Blood feeding patterns of mosquitoes are a key component in the dynamics of arboviral encephalitides transmission. In temperate Argentina, the members of the Culex pipiens complex include Cx. pipiens molestus, Cx. quinquefasciatus and their hybrids. To characterize their blood feeding patterns, adult resting mosquitoes were collected monthly during the warm season in urban and rural equestrian fields. The availability of birds and domestic mammals per site was characterized. The blood source and the complex member were successfully identified for 89 specimens using PCR. Blood of 19 vertebrate species was isolated including four mammals (most common feeds from dog, Canus lupus 19% of the blood meals; and horse, Equus caballus 18%) and 15 birds (picazuro pigeon, Patagioenas picazuro 11%; eared dove, Zenaida auriculata 10%; chicken, Gallus gallus 9%). The Forage Ratio (FR), calculated as the proportion of feeds taken from a given host species with respect to that host availability in the environment, suggested preference for dog by all members of the complex (FR ≥4.5). On the contrary, FR values suggested avoidance for horse by Cx. quinquefasciatus and the hybrid (FR ≤0.8), and a use proportional to its abundance by Cx. pipiens molestus (FR = 1.1-1.2 in urban and rural sites, respectively). FR values suggesting preference were obtained for avian species of the orders Passeriformes (7 species in total) and Columbiformes (5) by all members of the complex (FR ≥ 3.3), whereas values for monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus, Psiitaciformes) suggested avoidance by Cx. quinquefasciatus in urban sites (FR = 0.4) and by Cx. pipiens molestus in rural sites (FR = 0.3) but not in urban sites (FR = 1.4). A mammal-bird index (MBI, from -1 all avian to +1 all mammalian blood meals) was calculated for each member of the complex and urbanization category. Values were negative for Cx. quinquefasciatus (MBIurban = -0.60, MBIrural = -0.33) and positive for Cx. pipiens molestus (MBIurban = 0.20, MBIrural = 0.60), indicating a higher proportion of feeds taken on birds and mammals, respectively, regardless of the urbanization category. In temperate Argentina, the members of the Cx. pipiens complex fed both on horses and on birds, thus representing a real risk of transmission of arboviral encephalitides from avian enzootic cycles to horse epizootics.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Victoria Cardo
- Ecología de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vectores (2eTV), Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental-IIIA, UNSAM-CONICET, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Aníbal Eduardo Carbajo
- Ecología de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vectores (2eTV), Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental-IIIA, UNSAM-CONICET, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Marlene Kliger
- Ecología de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vectores (2eTV), Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental-IIIA, UNSAM-CONICET, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Darío Vezzani
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto Multidisciplinario sobre Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustentable, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, UNCPBA-CICPBA, Tandil, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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