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Impact of field-realistic doses of glyphosate and nutritional stress on mosquito life history-traits and susceptibility to malaria parasite infection
  • Danaé Bataillard,
  • Philippe Christe,
  • Romain Pigeault
Danaé Bataillard
University of Lausanne

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Philippe Christe
University of Lausanne
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Romain Pigeault
University of Lausanne
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Abstract

Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used herbicide. The commercial success of this molecule is due to its non-selectivity and its action, which would supposedly target specific biosynthetic pathways found mainly in plants. Multiple studies have however provided evidence for high sensitivity of many non-target species to glyphosate and/or to formulations (glyphosate mixed with surfactants). This herbicide, found at significant levels in aquatic systems through surface runoffs, impacts life history traits and immune parameters of several aquatic invertebrates’ species. Some of these species are vectors of diseases, one of the most important of which is the mosquito. Mosquitoes, from hatching to emergence, are exposed to aquatic chemical contaminants. In this study, we first compared the toxicity of pure glyphosate to the toxicity of glyphosate-based formulations for the main vector of avian malaria in Europe, Culex pipiens mosquito. Then we evaluated, for the first time, how field realistic dose of glyphosate interacts with larval nutritional stress to alter mosquito life history traits and susceptibility to avian malaria parasite infection. Our results show that exposure of larvae to field-realistic doses of glyphosate, pure or in formulation, did not affect larval survival rate, adult size and female fecundity. One of our two experimental blocks showed, however, that exposure to glyphosate decreased development time and reduced mosquito infection probability by malaria parasite. Interestingly the effect on malaria infection was lost when the larvae were also subjected to a nutritional stress, probably due to a lower ingestion of glyphosate.
27 Jan 2020Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
28 Jan 2020Submission Checks Completed
28 Jan 2020Assigned to Editor
30 Jan 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
12 Feb 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
18 Feb 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
26 Feb 20201st Revision Received
03 Mar 2020Submission Checks Completed
03 Mar 2020Assigned to Editor
03 Mar 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
03 Mar 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
18 Mar 2020Editorial Decision: Accept