Analysis of the biting behavior and disease patterns in haematophagous dipterans of the tropical rain forests

Abstract

Haematophagous dipterans including mosquitoes, sandflies, blackflies, tsetse flies, tabanids, and biting midges play an essential role in the ecology and epidemiology of infectious diseases in tropical rain forests. Their biting behavior, host specificity, and ecological plasticity enable the maintenance of complex zoonotic networks involving wildlife, humans, and multiple pathogens. Tropical rain forests provide ideal conditions for vector proliferation due to their high humidity, thermal stability, dense vegetation, and availability of diverse vertebrate hosts. These ecosystems sustain sylvatic cycles of protozoal diseases such as malaria and leishmaniasis, viral diseases including yellow fever, dengue, Mayaro, Oropouche, and numerous arboviruses, as well as helminth and bacterial infections. Rapid environmental change, including deforestation, agricultural expansion, mining, logging, and climate variability, alters vector habitats and feeding behavior, amplifying human exposure. The disruption of wildlife communities and increased human settling near forest edges create interfaces that favor zoonotic spillover. Despite their global significance, many rain-forest vector species remain poorly studied, and pathogen cycles often remain cryptic. This dissertation investigates the ecology, biting behavior, host-feeding patterns, and disease-transmission dynamics of haematophagous dipterans in tropical rain forests. It synthesizes contemporary research, identifies key biological drivers, and outlines methodological frameworks for future studies in vector ecology and disease surveillance.

Keywords: Biting behavior, Disease pattern, Haematophagous dipterans, Tropical rain forests