LE3 .A278 2022

2022

Smith, Todd
Ferguson, Laura

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Biology

Biology

Mosquito larvae ingest microplastics in their aquatic habitat and can retain them within their Malpighian tubules through metamorphosis into adulthood, where many go on to become vectors of disease that pose a threat to humans and wildlife. Retention of microplastics within the Malpighian tubules is significant, as this is the same developmental location of the anuran blood parasite, Hepatozoon clamatae, within its mosquito vector, Culex territans. The objectives of this study were to determine if microplastic contamination modifies the infection success of H. clamatae in C. territans and to investigate if this contamination alters aspects of mosquito physiology that contribute to vector success. Measures of physiology that are related to vector success, such as developmental rate, post-eclosion survival, and body size were investigated in C. territans that were raised in low (20 microplastic beads /mL), high (200 microplastic beads /mL), and control (0 microplastic beads /mL) microplastic treatments. Additionally, to measure parasite success, parasite load in infected mosquitos was quantified using qPCR and compared between treatment groups. Exposure to microplastics did not cause significant differences in the measures of vector physiology examined in this study; however, exposure may have the potential to decrease post-eclosion survival. Further, microplastic contamination did not significantly alter parasite load; however, mosquitoes in the control treatment showed higher amounts of parasite DNA compared to the treatment groups, indicating a higher level of infection, and a wider variety in parasite load. These findings suggest that exposure to microplastics has the potential to effect mosquito physiology, resulting in decreased parasite success and reduced vector competence. Future work should help illuminate these effects further.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3796