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Wings and stings: Hymenoptera on vacation. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2023; 130:429-437. [PMID: 36702244 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2023.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Traveling to different regions, one might encounter a species to which they have a known allergy, or other related and unrelated species. A first-time systemic reaction can occur while on vacation, even in those with previous asymptomatic stings. Three main groups of Hymenoptera are responsible for most sting reactions. Honey bee species are virtually identical around the world. Among social wasps (family Vespidae), the yellowjacket (genus Vespula and Dolichovespula) and hornet (genus Vespa) venoms have almost complete cross-reactivity, whereas paper wasp (genus Polistes) venoms show only partial cross-reactivity with other vespid venoms. Venom immunotherapy (VIT) confers 80% to 95% protection against related insects, though isolated species of paper wasps and yellowjackets exist in every country that may be distinct from the ones at home. Those allergic to imported fire ants (genus Solenopsis) in the United States should not react to other ant species around the world. Stinging ants belong to several unrelated subfamilies in different geographic regions, which do not have cross-reactive venom. The chances of encountering specific species of Hymenoptera at a traveler's destination vary by location, planned activities, and season. In this article, we discuss special considerations for traveling, including distribution of stinging insects around the world, risk factors for more severe reactions, ways to prepare for a trip, and when allergist examination or treatment may be helpful before travel.
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Liu Y, Huang J, Zhang J, Xu Y, Li X, Lu Y. Sensitization of Guinea Pig Skin to Imported Fire Ant Alkaloids and Establishment of an Inflammatory Model. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1904. [PMID: 36767271 PMCID: PMC9914866 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Imported fire ants (IFAs), Solenopsis invicta, release their venom through multiple stings that induce inflammation, allergies, shock, and even death. Although IFA venom protein sensitization and related subcutaneous immunotherapy have been studied, few studies have examined the potential toxicity or pathogenicity of alkaloids, the main substances in IFA venom. Here, IFA alkaloids were identified and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; we further determined an appropriate extraction method and its effectiveness for extracting high-purity alkaloids through comparative analysis and guinea pig skin sensitivity tests. The alkaloids released from the IFA abdomen included those present in the head and thorax, and the alkaloids in the abdomen accounted for the highest proportion of the total extract. The abdominal extirpation method yielded alkaloids with a purity above 97%, and the skin irritation response score and histopathological diagnosis suggest that intradermal injection of the extracted alkaloids produced symptoms effectively simulating those of IFA stings. The successful establishment of an inflammatory model in guinea pigs stung by IFAs provides a basis for further research on the mechanism of inflammatory diseases caused by IFAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueze Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MOA of China and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Jun Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MOA of China and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Institute of Garden Plants and Flowers, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 311202, China
| | - Yipeng Xu
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Xiaowei Li
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MOA of China and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Yaobin Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MOA of China and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
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Levitt BB, Lai HC, Manville AM. Effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields on flora and fauna, Part 2 impacts: how species interact with natural and man-made EMF. REVIEWS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2022; 37:327-406. [PMID: 34243228 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2021-0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ambient levels of nonionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF) have risen sharply in the last five decades to become a ubiquitous, continuous, biologically active environmental pollutant, even in rural and remote areas. Many species of flora and fauna, because of unique physiologies and habitats, are sensitive to exogenous EMF in ways that surpass human reactivity. This can lead to complex endogenous reactions that are highly variable, largely unseen, and a possible contributing factor in species extinctions, sometimes localized. Non-human magnetoreception mechanisms are explored. Numerous studies across all frequencies and taxa indicate that current low-level anthropogenic EMF can have myriad adverse and synergistic effects, including on orientation and migration, food finding, reproduction, mating, nest and den building, territorial maintenance and defense, and on vitality, longevity and survivorship itself. Effects have been observed in mammals such as bats, cervids, cetaceans, and pinnipeds among others, and on birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles, microbes and many species of flora. Cyto- and geno-toxic effects have long been observed in laboratory research on animal models that can be extrapolated to wildlife. Unusual multi-system mechanisms can come into play with non-human species - including in aquatic environments - that rely on the Earth's natural geomagnetic fields for critical life-sustaining information. Part 2 of this 3-part series includes four online supplement tables of effects seen in animals from both ELF and RFR at vanishingly low intensities. Taken as a whole, this indicates enough information to raise concerns about ambient exposures to nonionizing radiation at ecosystem levels. Wildlife loss is often unseen and undocumented until tipping points are reached. It is time to recognize ambient EMF as a novel form of pollution and develop rules at regulatory agencies that designate air as 'habitat' so EMF can be regulated like other pollutants. Long-term chronic low-level EMF exposure standards, which do not now exist, should be set accordingly for wildlife, and environmental laws should be strictly enforced - a subject explored in Part 3.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henry C Lai
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Albert M Manville
- Advanced Academic Programs, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Policy, Johns Hopkins University, Washington DC Campus, USA
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Zheng Q, Qin D, Wang R, Yan W, Zhao W, Shen S, Huang S, Cheng D, Zhao C, Zhang Z. Novel application of biodegradable chitosan in agriculture: Using green nanopesticides to control Solenopsis invicta. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 220:193-203. [PMID: 35981672 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.08.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Botanical pesticides are biological pesticides that are environment friendly. However, their instability and short persistence limit their application. In this study, pH sensitive chitosan based rotenone (Rot) nanoparticles (CS/CMCS/Rot-NPs) were prepared using chitosan and carboxymethyl chitosan to take advantage of the acidic nature of the red fire ant midgut. Chitosan based nanoparticles showed photoprotective and slow sustained release effects on Rot and significantly increased the insecticidal activity of Rot against red fire ants. The 24-96hLC50 of CS/CMCS/Rot-NPs against red fire ants was 3.28-6.84 fold that of Rot. The CS/CMCS/Rot-NPs significantly reduced the venom alkaloid content of red fire ants and their living environment and weakened their survival by increasing their survival cost in the ecological environment. Nanotechnology combined with botanical pesticides can be used as a novel, safe, effective, and ecofriendly method to control red fire ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Zheng
- Guangdong Biological Pesticide Engineering Technology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Deqiang Qin
- Guangdong Biological Pesticide Engineering Technology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruifei Wang
- Guangdong Biological Pesticide Engineering Technology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjuan Yan
- Guangdong Biological Pesticide Engineering Technology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- Guangdong Biological Pesticide Engineering Technology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shigang Shen
- Guangdong Biological Pesticide Engineering Technology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Suqing Huang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dongmei Cheng
- College of Agriculture and Biology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chen Zhao
- Guangdong Biological Pesticide Engineering Technology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Zhixiang Zhang
- Guangdong Biological Pesticide Engineering Technology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
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Biology of Pseudacteon Decapitating Flies (Diptera: Phoridae) That Parasitize Ants of the Solenopsis saevissima Complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in South America. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11020107. [PMID: 32041256 PMCID: PMC7073655 DOI: 10.3390/insects11020107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Pseudacteon flies (Diptera: Phoridae) parasitize individual ant workers, causing decapitation of the host during pupariation. Phorid flies that attack South American fire ants in the Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) complex are distributed across a wide range of habitats and climates associated with the geographical range of their hosts. Sympatric species sharing the same hosts often partition niche resources by season, active time of day, host size, and/or different host activities. They have the potential of being used for biological control of the imported fire ants in North America, Australia, and Asia.
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Chen L, Fadamiro HY. Pseudacteon Phorid Flies: Host Specificity and Impacts on Solenopsis Fire Ants. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 63:47-67. [PMID: 28938082 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-020117-043049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Human commerce has resulted in the spread of the imported fire ants, Solenopsis species, worldwide. Six species of parasitic Pseudacteon phorid flies that are highly host specific to the Solenopsis saevissima complex of Solenopsis fire ants have been successfully released in the southern United States. The presence of Pseudacteon phorid flies, in addition to having direct mortality effects on their host ants, modifies foraging behavior and disrupts interspecific competition between host species and other ant species in the community. Fire ant workers have evolved effective methods to cope with parasitism pressure, which may relieve population-level impacts of introduced phorid flies. This review focuses on the mechanisms underlying host location, host preference, and host-size selection of Pseudacteon phorid flies and highlights their direct and indirect effects on fire ant populations. Knowledge gained from parasitoid-ant interactions will enhance use of natural enemies as biological control agents for invasive social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China;
| | - Henry Y Fadamiro
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849;
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Wylie FR, Janssen-May S. Red Imported Fire Ant in Australia: What if we lose the war? ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/emr.12238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Sharma KR, Fadamiro HY. Fire ant alarm pheromone and venom alkaloids act in concert to attract parasitic phorid flies, Pseudacteon spp. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 59:1119-1124. [PMID: 24035750 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2013] [Revised: 08/16/2013] [Accepted: 08/24/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Pseudacteon tricuspis, Pseudacteon obtusus and Pseudacteon curvatus are three species of parasitic phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae), which have been introduced as classical biological control agents of imported, Solenopsis fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the southern USA. Previous studies demonstrated the behavioral response of P. tricuspis to the venom alkaloids and alarm pheromone of the fire ant, S. invicta. In the present study, we compared the responses of P. tricuspis, P. obtusus and P. curvatus to Solenopsis invicta alarm pheromone, venom alkaloids, or a mixture of both chemicals in four-choice olfactometer bioassays. The main hypothesis tested was that the fire ant alarm pheromone and venom alkaloids act in concert to attract Pseudacteon phorid flies. Both sexes of all three Pseudacteon species were attracted to low doses of the fire ant alarm pheromone or venom alkaloids (i.e. 1 ant worker equivalent) alone. However, the flies were significantly more attracted to a mixture of both chemicals (i.e., 1:1 mixture of alarm pheromone+alkaloids) than to either chemical. The results suggest an additive rather than a synergistic effect of combining both chemicals. Comparing the fly species, P. tricuspis showed relatively greater attraction to cis alkaloids, whereas the alkaloid mixture (cis+trans) was preferred by P. obtusus and P. curvatus. In general, no key sexual differences were recorded, although females of P. tricuspis and P. obtusus showed slightly higher response than conspecific males to lower doses of the alarm pheromone. The ecological significance of these findings is discussed, and a host location model is proposed for parasitic phorid flies involving the use of fire ant alarm pheromone and venom alkaloids as long range and short range attractants, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita R Sharma
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; Department of Entomology, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Isolation of a Pyrazine Alarm Pheromone Component from the Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta. J Chem Ecol 2010; 36:163-70. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-010-9743-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2009] [Revised: 12/16/2009] [Accepted: 01/07/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Abstract
Tick pheromones that regulate assembly, attraction/aggregation/attachment, and mating behavior have been described. Most of the compounds regulating these behaviors are purines, substituted phenols, or cholesteryl esters. Other pheromonal compounds include organic acids, hematin, or ecdysteroids. Novel devices have been developed that combine the specific compounds comprising these pheromones with an acaricide. When applied to tick-infested vegetation or directly to the body surfaces of livestock or companion animals, these devices are effective for tick control. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge of tick pheromones. In addition, this review also presents examples illustrating how devices using tick pheromones can offer effective alternatives to conventional methods for achieving tick control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Sonenshine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529, USA.
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