Ecological interactions between mosquitoes and their microbiota: Implications for pathogen transmission

Mosquitoes play a key role in the transmission of the vector-borne pathogens including those affecting humans and other animals. Mosquito microbiota has been identified as one of the major drivers of the interactions between vectors and pathogens. Most research has been developed in certain vector species with relevance for the transmission of human pathogens. However, the ecological factors explaining the variation of mosquito microbiota in non-model species have been comparatively neglected. This Research Topic will include cutting-edge research articles in this field, focusing on the identification of factors that affect the microbiota of major insect vectors, with a special focus on the ecological determinants of mosquito´s microbiota and their effects on pathogens considering a global change perspective. Authors around the globe are currently investigating which factors modulate the ecological interactions between mosquitoes and their microbiota and their implications for pathogen transmission.

Our main aim is to edit an issue including the latest theoretical and empirical research on this topic, including both correlational and experimental approaches, as well as reviews or short review articles. These papers will cover a broad range of studies on the interactions between mosquitoes and their microbiota, from those revealing the factors affecting their variation in natural populations to studies identifying the epidemiological consequences of the interactions among vectors, their microbiota and vector-borne pathogens.