@article{ponnusamy_xu_böröczky_wesson_abu ayyash_schal_apperson_2010, title={Oviposition Responses of the Mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus to Experimental Plant Infusions in Laboratory Bioassays}, volume={36}, ISSN={0098-0331 1573-1561}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9806-2}, DOI={10.1007/s10886-010-9806-2}, abstractNote={Attraction of the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus to plant infusions was evaluated by using a modified sticky-screen bioassay that improved the resolution of mosquito responses to odorants. Under bioassay conditions, solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatographic analyses of the volatile marker chemical indole showed that odorants diffused from bioassay cups, forming a concentration gradient. Infusions were prepared by separately fermenting senescent leaves of eight plant species in well water. Plant infusions were evaluated over an 8-fold range of leaf biomass and/or a 28 d fermentation period. The responses of gravid females of both mosquito species varied with the plant species and biomass of plant materials used to make infusions, and with the length of the fermentation period. Infusions made from senescent bamboo (Arundinaria gigantea) and white oak (Quercus alba) leaves were significantly attractive to both mosquitoes. In general, infusions prepared by using low biomass of plant material over a 7–14 d fermentation period were most attractive to Ae. aegypti. In contrast, Ae. albopictus was attracted to infusions made using a wider range of plant biomass and over a longer fermentation period. Both mosquito species were more attracted to a non-sterile white oak leaf infusion than to white oak leaf infusion that was prepared using sterilized plant material and water, thus suggesting a role for microbial activity in the production of odorants that mediate the oviposition response of gravid mosquitoes.}, number={7}, journal={Journal of Chemical Ecology}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Ponnusamy, Loganathan and Xu, Ning and Böröczky, Katalin and Wesson, Dawn M. and Abu Ayyash, Luma and Schal, Coby and Apperson, Charles S.}, year={2010}, month={Jun}, pages={709–719} }
 @article{ponnusamy_xu_stav_wesson_schal_apperson_2008, title={Diversity of Bacterial Communities in Container Habitats of Mosquitoes}, volume={56}, ISSN={["1432-184X"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00248-008-9379-6}, DOI={10.1007/s00248-008-9379-6}, abstractNote={We investigated the bacterial diversity of microbial communities in water-filled, human-made and natural container habitats of the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in suburban landscapes of New Orleans, Louisiana in 2003. We collected water samples from three classes of containers, including tires (n = 12), cemetery urns (n = 23), and miscellaneous containers that included two tree holes (n = 19). Total genomic DNA was extracted from water samples, and 16S ribosomal DNA fragments (operational taxonomic units, OTUs) were amplified by PCR and separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The bacterial communities in containers represented diverse DGGE-DNA banding patterns that were not related to the class of container or to the local spatial distribution of containers. Mean richness and evenness of OTUs were highest in water samples from tires. Bacterial phylotypes were identified by comparative sequence analysis of 90 16S rDNA DGGE band amplicons. The majority of sequences were placed in five major taxa: Alpha-, Beta- and Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, and an unclassified group; Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the predominant heterotrophic bacteria in containers. The bacterial communities in human-made containers consisted mainly of undescribed species, and a phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequences suggested that species composition was independent of both container type and the spatial distribution of containers. Comparative PCR-based, cultivation-independent rRNA surveys of microbial communities associated with mosquito habitats can provide significant insight into community organization and dynamics of bacterial species.}, number={4}, journal={MICROBIAL ECOLOGY}, author={Ponnusamy, Loganathan and Xu, Ning and Stav, Gil and Wesson, Dawn M. and Schal, Coby and Apperson, Charles S.}, year={2008}, month={Nov}, pages={593–603} }