We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Ontogenetic Transfer of Microplastics in Bloodsucking Mosquitoes Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) Is a Potential Pathway for Particle Distribution in the Environment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers demonstrated that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can transfer microplastics across life stages from larvae through pupae to flying adults, identifying bloodsucking mosquitoes as a potential pathway for distributing plastic particles through the environment.
The uptake and accumulation of microplastics (MPs) by bloodsucking mosquitoes Aedes aegypti L., carriers of vector-borne diseases, were investigated in the laboratory. In the experimental group, polystyrene (PS) particles were registered in insects of all life stages from larvae to pupae and adults. Ae. aegypti larvae readily ingested MPs with food, accumulating on average 7.3 × 106 items per larva in three days. The content of PS microspheres significantly decreased in mosquitoes from the larval stage to the pupal stage and was passed to the adult stage from the pupal without significant loss. On average, 15.8 items were detected per pupa and 10.9 items per adult individual. The uptake of MPs by Ae. aegypti did not affect their survival, while the average body weight of mosquitoes of all life stages that consumed PS microspheres was higher than that of mosquitoes in the control groups. Our data confirmed that in insects with metamorphosis, MPs can pass from feeding larvae to nonfeeding pupae in aquatic ecosystems and, subsequently, to adults flying to land. Bloodsucking mosquitoes can participate in MP circulation in the environment.
More Papers Like This
Ontogenetic transfer of microplastics and nanoplastics in mosquitoes: a scoping review of environmental and health implications
AI summary Read the abstract
This scoping review examines the role of mosquitoes as vectors for transferring microplastics and nanoplastics from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems through their life cycle. Researchers found evidence that mosquito larvae ingest micro- and nanoplastics in water, which are retained through metamorphosis and carried into terrestrial environments by adult mosquitoes. The study highlights an underappreciated pathway for microplastic dispersal and raises questions about potential implications for organisms that feed on mosquitoes.
Female mosquito-a potential vector for transporting plastic residues to humans
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that mosquito larvae accumulate microplastics from sewage environments and retain them through metamorphosis into adult females, suggesting that mosquitoes could serve as vectors for transporting plastic residues to humans through biting.
Ontogenetic transfer of microplastics in natural populations of malaria mosquitoes in Western Siberia
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how malaria-carrying mosquitoes in Western Siberia take up microplastics during their aquatic larval stage and carry them through metamorphosis into adulthood. Larvae accumulated millions of polystyrene particles within days, but the number dropped dramatically during each life stage transition, with only a few particles remaining in adult mosquitoes. The study confirms that flying insects can transfer waterborne microplastic pollution into terrestrial environments.
Examining effects of ontogenic microplastic transference on Culex mosquito mortality and adult weight
AI summary Read the abstract
Culex mosquito larvae were exposed to polystyrene microplastics at different sizes (2 μm and 15 μm) and concentrations, with MP ingestion confirmed and ontogenic transference of particles from aquatic larvae to terrestrial adults demonstrated, though no significant effects on adult mortality or weight were found. The study provides the first evidence of microplastic transfer across the aquatic-to-terrestrial life stage boundary in a common insect vector.
Hitchhiking Microplastics Through Mosquitoes as Unseen Vehicles of Terrestrial and Aerial Transfer: Experimental Evidence
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (microplastics) can be absorbed by mosquito larvae and carried through their entire life cycle—showing up in nearly all the adult mosquitoes that emerged. While this study focused on mosquito health (higher plastic doses meant more baby mosquitoes died), it raises a bigger concern: if plastics can hitch a ride through insects like this, they may be moving through food webs and ecosystems in ways we don't fully understand yet, including potentially into animals and humans that interact with these insects.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.