Assessment of expertise in morphological identification of mosquito species (Diptera, Culicidae) using photomicrographs

Nil Rahola; Filiz Günay; Murat Öztürk; Bulent Alten; Hanan A Aqeehal; Walid K Saadawi; Taher Shaibi; Mihaela Kavran; Dušan Petrić; Jelena Mitrović; Igor Pajovic; Enkelejda Velo; Përparim Kadriaj; Elton Rogozi; Viola Jani; Arsen Manucharyan; Lusine Paronyan; Samer Sawalha; Youmna M'ghirbi; Ali Bouattour; Adel Rhim; Ahmed Ouni; Abdallah M Samy; Shaimaa Abozeid; M'hammed Sarih; Najlaa Assaid; Soukaina Arich; Nikolina Sokolovska; Elizabeta Janceska; Kamal Eddine Benallal; Nabil Haddad; Renée Zakhia; Nesade Muja-Bajraktari; Kurtesh Sherifi; Majeda Arbaji; Jelena Marić; Violeta Santrac; Nato Dolidze; Philippe Boussès; Isra Deblauwe; Francis Schaffner; Vincent Robert

doi:10.1051/parasite/2022045

Assessment of expertise in morphological identification of mosquito species (Diptera, Culicidae) using photomicrographs

Nil Rahola, Filiz Günay, Murat Öztürk, Bulent Alten, Hanan A Aqeehal, Walid K Saadawi, Taher Shaibi, Mihaela Kavran, Dušan Petrić, Jelena Mitrović, Igor Pajovic, Enkelejda Velo, Përparim Kadriaj, Elton Rogozi, Viola Jani, Arsen Manucharyan, Lusine Paronyan, Samer Sawalha, Youmna M'ghirbi, Ali BouattourAdel Rhim, Ahmed Ouni, Abdallah M Samy, Shaimaa Abozeid, M'hammed Sarih, Najlaa Assaid, Soukaina Arich, Nikolina Sokolovska, Elizabeta Janceska, Kamal Eddine Benallal, Nabil Haddad, Renée Zakhia, Nesade Muja-Bajraktari, Kurtesh Sherifi, Majeda Arbaji, Jelena Marić, Violeta Santrac, Nato Dolidze, Philippe Boussès, Isra Deblauwe, Francis Schaffner, Vincent Robert

Entomology

Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review

31 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Accurate identification of insect species is an indispensable and challenging requirement for every entomologist, particularly if the species is involved in disease outbreaks. The European MediLabSecure project designed an identification (ID) exercise available to any willing participant with the aim of assessing and improving knowledge in mosquito taxonomy. The exercise was based on high-definition photomicrographs of mosquitoes (26 adult females and 12 larvae) collected from the western Palaearctic. Sixty-five responses from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East were usable. The study demonstrated that the responders were better at identifying females (82% correct responses) than larvae (63%). When the responders reported that they were sure of the accuracy of their ID, the success rate of ID increased (92% for females and 88% for larvae). The top three tools used for ID were MosKeyTool (72% of responders), the ID key following Becker et al. [2010. Mosquitoes and their control, 2nd edn. Berlin: Springer] (38%), and the CD-ROM of Schaffner et al. [2001. Les moustiques d'Europe: logiciel d'identification et d'enseignement - The mosquitoes of Europe: an identification and training programme. Montpellier: IRD; EID] (32%), while other tools were used by less than 10% of responders. Responders reporting the identification of mosquitoes using the MosKeyTool were significantly better (80% correct responses) than non-MosKeyTool users (69%). Most responders (63%) used more than one ID tool. The feedback from responders in this study was positive, with the exercise being perceived as halfway between educational training and a fun quiz. It raised the importance of further expanding training in mosquito ID for better preparedness of mosquito surveillance and control programmes.

Original language	English
Article number	45
Journal	Parasite
Volume	29
Number of pages	9
ISSN	1252-607X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2022045
Publication status	Published - 2022

Access to Document

10.1051/parasite/2022045Licence: CC BY

2022para0045Final published version, 2.93 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Rahola, N., Günay, F., Öztürk, M., Alten, B., Aqeehal, H. A., Saadawi, W. K., Shaibi, T., Kavran, M., Petrić, D., Mitrović, J., Pajovic, I., Velo, E., Kadriaj, P., Rogozi, E., Jani, V., Manucharyan, A., Paronyan, L., Sawalha, S., M'ghirbi, Y., ... Robert, V. (2022). Assessment of expertise in morphological identification of mosquito species (Diptera, Culicidae) using photomicrographs. Parasite, 29, Article 45. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2022045

@article{cbac48bad3bd43a9bced06f4f2cf00b0,

title = "Assessment of expertise in morphological identification of mosquito species (Diptera, Culicidae) using photomicrographs",

abstract = "Accurate identification of insect species is an indispensable and challenging requirement for every entomologist, particularly if the species is involved in disease outbreaks. The European MediLabSecure project designed an identification (ID) exercise available to any willing participant with the aim of assessing and improving knowledge in mosquito taxonomy. The exercise was based on high-definition photomicrographs of mosquitoes (26 adult females and 12 larvae) collected from the western Palaearctic. Sixty-five responses from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East were usable. The study demonstrated that the responders were better at identifying females (82% correct responses) than larvae (63%). When the responders reported that they were sure of the accuracy of their ID, the success rate of ID increased (92% for females and 88% for larvae). The top three tools used for ID were MosKeyTool (72% of responders), the ID key following Becker et al. [2010. Mosquitoes and their control, 2nd edn. Berlin: Springer] (38%), and the CD-ROM of Schaffner et al. [2001. Les moustiques d'Europe: logiciel d'identification et d'enseignement - The mosquitoes of Europe: an identification and training programme. Montpellier: IRD; EID] (32%), while other tools were used by less than 10% of responders. Responders reporting the identification of mosquitoes using the MosKeyTool were significantly better (80% correct responses) than non-MosKeyTool users (69%). Most responders (63%) used more than one ID tool. The feedback from responders in this study was positive, with the exercise being perceived as halfway between educational training and a fun quiz. It raised the importance of further expanding training in mosquito ID for better preparedness of mosquito surveillance and control programmes.",

author = "Nil Rahola and Filiz G{\"u}nay and Murat {\"O}zt{\"u}rk and Bulent Alten and Aqeehal, {Hanan A} and Saadawi, {Walid K} and Taher Shaibi and Mihaela Kavran and Du{\v s}an Petri{\'c} and Jelena Mitrovi{\'c} and Igor Pajovic and Enkelejda Velo and P{\"e}rparim Kadriaj and Elton Rogozi and Viola Jani and Arsen Manucharyan and Lusine Paronyan and Samer Sawalha and Youmna M'ghirbi and Ali Bouattour and Adel Rhim and Ahmed Ouni and Samy, {Abdallah M} and Shaimaa Abozeid and M'hammed Sarih and Najlaa Assaid and Soukaina Arich and Nikolina Sokolovska and Elizabeta Janceska and Benallal, {Kamal Eddine} and Nabil Haddad and Ren{\'e}e Zakhia and Nesade Muja-Bajraktari and Kurtesh Sherifi and Majeda Arbaji and Jelena Mari{\'c} and Violeta Santrac and Nato Dolidze and Philippe Bouss{\`e}s and Isra Deblauwe and Francis Schaffner and Vincent Robert",

note = "FTX; (CC BY 4.0)",

year = "2022",

doi = "10.1051/parasite/2022045",

language = "English",

volume = "29",

journal = "Parasite",

issn = "1252-607X",

publisher = "EDP Sciences S A",

}

Rahola, N, Günay, F, Öztürk, M, Alten, B, Aqeehal, HA, Saadawi, WK, Shaibi, T, Kavran, M, Petrić, D, Mitrović, J, Pajovic, I, Velo, E, Kadriaj, P, Rogozi, E, Jani, V, Manucharyan, A, Paronyan, L, Sawalha, S, M'ghirbi, Y, Bouattour, A, Rhim, A, Ouni, A, Samy, AM, Abozeid, S, Sarih, M, Assaid, N, Arich, S, Sokolovska, N, Janceska, E, Benallal, KE, Haddad, N, Zakhia, R, Muja-Bajraktari, N, Sherifi, K, Arbaji, M, Marić, J, Santrac, V, Dolidze, N, Boussès, P, Deblauwe, I, Schaffner, F & Robert, V 2022, 'Assessment of expertise in morphological identification of mosquito species (Diptera, Culicidae) using photomicrographs', Parasite, vol. 29, 45. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2022045

TY - JOUR

T1 - Assessment of expertise in morphological identification of mosquito species (Diptera, Culicidae) using photomicrographs

AU - Rahola, Nil

AU - Günay, Filiz

AU - Öztürk, Murat

AU - Alten, Bulent

AU - Aqeehal, Hanan A

AU - Saadawi, Walid K

AU - Shaibi, Taher

AU - Kavran, Mihaela

AU - Petrić, Dušan

AU - Mitrović, Jelena

AU - Pajovic, Igor

AU - Velo, Enkelejda

AU - Kadriaj, Përparim

AU - Rogozi, Elton

AU - Jani, Viola

AU - Manucharyan, Arsen

AU - Paronyan, Lusine

AU - Sawalha, Samer

AU - M'ghirbi, Youmna

AU - Bouattour, Ali

AU - Rhim, Adel

AU - Ouni, Ahmed

AU - Samy, Abdallah M

AU - Abozeid, Shaimaa

AU - Sarih, M'hammed

AU - Assaid, Najlaa

AU - Arich, Soukaina

AU - Sokolovska, Nikolina

AU - Janceska, Elizabeta

AU - Benallal, Kamal Eddine

AU - Haddad, Nabil

AU - Zakhia, Renée

AU - Muja-Bajraktari, Nesade

AU - Sherifi, Kurtesh

AU - Arbaji, Majeda

AU - Marić, Jelena

AU - Santrac, Violeta

AU - Dolidze, Nato

AU - Boussès, Philippe

AU - Deblauwe, Isra

AU - Schaffner, Francis

AU - Robert, Vincent

N1 - FTX; (CC BY 4.0)

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Accurate identification of insect species is an indispensable and challenging requirement for every entomologist, particularly if the species is involved in disease outbreaks. The European MediLabSecure project designed an identification (ID) exercise available to any willing participant with the aim of assessing and improving knowledge in mosquito taxonomy. The exercise was based on high-definition photomicrographs of mosquitoes (26 adult females and 12 larvae) collected from the western Palaearctic. Sixty-five responses from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East were usable. The study demonstrated that the responders were better at identifying females (82% correct responses) than larvae (63%). When the responders reported that they were sure of the accuracy of their ID, the success rate of ID increased (92% for females and 88% for larvae). The top three tools used for ID were MosKeyTool (72% of responders), the ID key following Becker et al. [2010. Mosquitoes and their control, 2nd edn. Berlin: Springer] (38%), and the CD-ROM of Schaffner et al. [2001. Les moustiques d'Europe: logiciel d'identification et d'enseignement - The mosquitoes of Europe: an identification and training programme. Montpellier: IRD; EID] (32%), while other tools were used by less than 10% of responders. Responders reporting the identification of mosquitoes using the MosKeyTool were significantly better (80% correct responses) than non-MosKeyTool users (69%). Most responders (63%) used more than one ID tool. The feedback from responders in this study was positive, with the exercise being perceived as halfway between educational training and a fun quiz. It raised the importance of further expanding training in mosquito ID for better preparedness of mosquito surveillance and control programmes.

AB - Accurate identification of insect species is an indispensable and challenging requirement for every entomologist, particularly if the species is involved in disease outbreaks. The European MediLabSecure project designed an identification (ID) exercise available to any willing participant with the aim of assessing and improving knowledge in mosquito taxonomy. The exercise was based on high-definition photomicrographs of mosquitoes (26 adult females and 12 larvae) collected from the western Palaearctic. Sixty-five responses from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East were usable. The study demonstrated that the responders were better at identifying females (82% correct responses) than larvae (63%). When the responders reported that they were sure of the accuracy of their ID, the success rate of ID increased (92% for females and 88% for larvae). The top three tools used for ID were MosKeyTool (72% of responders), the ID key following Becker et al. [2010. Mosquitoes and their control, 2nd edn. Berlin: Springer] (38%), and the CD-ROM of Schaffner et al. [2001. Les moustiques d'Europe: logiciel d'identification et d'enseignement - The mosquitoes of Europe: an identification and training programme. Montpellier: IRD; EID] (32%), while other tools were used by less than 10% of responders. Responders reporting the identification of mosquitoes using the MosKeyTool were significantly better (80% correct responses) than non-MosKeyTool users (69%). Most responders (63%) used more than one ID tool. The feedback from responders in this study was positive, with the exercise being perceived as halfway between educational training and a fun quiz. It raised the importance of further expanding training in mosquito ID for better preparedness of mosquito surveillance and control programmes.

U2 - 10.1051/parasite/2022045

DO - 10.1051/parasite/2022045

M3 - A1: Web of Science-article

C2 - 36200781

SN - 1252-607X

VL - 29

JO - Parasite

JF - Parasite

M1 - 45

ER -

Assessment of expertise in morphological identification of mosquito species (Diptera, Culicidae) using photomicrographs

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this