VISIOCONFÉRENCEORSAY, 15 septembre 2014

INFLUENCE DU CHANGEMENTCLIMATIQUE SUR LA DISTRIBUTION DES

ESPÈCES VENIMEUSES

M. Goyffon, MNHN, Paris, mgoyffon@mnhn.fr

PROLIFERATIONS

SEASONAL

OCCASIONAL

INVASIVE SPECIES

1) SEASONAL PROLIFERATIONS

ARTHROPODS

Urticant (sting) (Lepidoptera)

Vesicant (contact) (Coleoptera)

LEPIDOPTERA

LEPIDOPTERISM / ERUCISM(urticant)

LEPIDOPTERISM (adults)

- Less frequent than erucism (larvæ)

-Main families : -Saturniidæ : Hemileucinæ : Lonomia, Hylesia, South America-Thaumetopoeidæ : Anaphe, Africa ; Thaumetopoea, Eur., Euproctis, Asia- Lymantriidæ : L. dispar, Eur., North Am.

ERUCISM (larvæ)

- frequent,-17 families, about 140 genera, Heterocera & some Rhopalocera, -Main families : -Saturniidæ, Hemileucinæ : Hylesia, Lonomia,South America ; -Notodontidæ : Thaumetopoea, Europe ; Anaphe, Africa -Lasiocampidæ : Dendrolimus, Asia ; Streblote, Europe- Nymphalidæ : Morpho sp.

Hylesia sp. (Sth Amer.)

Anaphe sp. (Africa)

Lonomia sp. (Brazil)

Thaumetopoea sp.

- Main species in Europa : T. processionæ,

T. pityocampa

- Among urticant Lepidoptera, only these species seem in a phase of territorial expansion [one cycle per annum],

- Nuisances concerning also animals (dogs, cats, cattle)

Thaumetopoea pityocampa

Thaumetopoea pityocampa

STAPHYLINIDÆ(vesicant)

STAPHYLINIDÆ (rove beetles)Characteristics

- Vesicant insects, ubiquitous (> 600 sp.)- Main genus : Pæderus, toxin known - Contact dermatitis known at least at the beginning of the XXth century - Attracted on evening by light in houses, even in winter in the Mediterranean basin- Maybe important increasing frequency of accidents due to a climate change

PÉDÉRINE

- Produced by an endosymbiotic bacteria, genus Pseudomonas,

- Chemical synthesis realized,

- Principally in females,

- Dead insects “active”,

- Hand palms insensitive to rinse,

- Insects attracted by electric lights.

SYMPTOMATOLOGY

- One or several erythema (then systemic signs possible),

- Appearing after one or several insects crushed on skin,

- Transport of toxins by hand palms possible,

- Three grades : benign, moderate, severe (rarely) with systemic symptoms,

- Secondary infection possible

OTHER SPECIES(expansions)

Snakes-Vipera aspis, H. viridiflavus (Europa, latitude)

- Crotalus atrox which replaces C. molossus (North America, USA, altitude)

Hierophis viridiflavus (non venomous) Whip snake

H.v.

Crotalus atrox

Crotalus molossus

Crotalus molossus

2) OCCASIONAL

PROLIFERATIONS

(not dependent of season)

- Cnidae (venomous)

- Iuliforms (millipedes, vesicant)

CNIDAE : JELLYFISH

P. noctiluca

[Sea nettle]

Physalia grounded on a beach (France)

Physalia grounded on a beach (France)

SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT

- Contacts painful, marks of contact often persistent,

- Avoid rubbings,

- Take off the fragments of tentacles (if any) with small tongs,

- Analgesic drugs.

IULIFORMS

- Diplopods : not venomous (as Chilopods, for example), but “vesicant” as some insects. Ex. : Ommatoiolus sp.

- Possible huge proliferations in some countries, causes not well known,

- Nuisance rather than a health problem.

Anthropic environments (I)

Possibility for some venomous species to adapt to various anthropic environments :

two examples of snakes (adaptation limited in time and space)

Causus sp.

Causus maculatus (Africa)

- in banana plantations, especially if strawed ground which retains moisture,

- Causus maculatus is an African viper which causes severe non-fatal envenomings.

Echis ocellatus

ECHIS OCELLATUS

- Echis ocellatus is a dangerous African viper

- It is a consumer of venomous Chilopods (Scolopendra sp.) which are themselves consumers of small arthropods in rubbish piles neglected, during the rain-season. So, serious “domestic” envenomings may appear during this season in some countries of Black Africa.

URBAN SCORPIONISM

Benign (France) or dangerous (America : Brazil, Argentina, USA)

Characteristics (in tropical regions) :

- Parthenogenesis (Tityus sp.),

- Opportunistic food : cockroaches,

- Ecological adaptability,

- Currently : only America (N. and S.)

Euscorpius flavicaudis (harmless)

Adaptation to anthropic environments : urban scorpionism

Tityus serrulatus : Brazil (Brasilia)Tityus trivittatus : Argentina (Buenos Aires) Centruroides sculpturatus (Los Angeles, USA), generally in gardens, not inside

Common characteristics : parthenogenesis (only Tityus sp.)Main food : cockroaches, various insects

Tityus serrulatus (Brazil)

Tityus trivitattus

(Argentina)

Centruroides sp.

INVASIVE SPECIES

- Hymenoptera (stinging),

- Vertebrates : amphibia, snakes, fish (lionfish)

- Hornets

- Bees

- Ants

Vespa crabro European hornet

Vespa velutina Asian hornet

Map in 2012

VESPA VELUTINA

- Hornet Vespa velutina came probably from China (marine transport),

- Rapid invasion of France up to Belgium,

- Predator of bees,

- Less diurnal than V. crabro,

- Some deaths registered in France, even if its venom seems without particularities.

Apis sp.

Invasive bees

- Brazilian hybrids produced 50 yrs ago :

Apis mellifera ligustica x A. m. adansoni

- Hybrids better adapted to the tropical climate, but more aggressive (“killer bees”)

- Invasion of the South America, then Central America, and North America up to Texas and Arizona. Many multiple stings recorded.

- No particularities in the composition of hybrid venoms.

BEHAVIOR OF THE HYBRID BEES (“killer bees”)

- They collect pollens whatever the weather, even if clouds,

- In tropical regions, bees are active during the year, not only in Spring-Summer.

- When a human is too near the hives, he is attacked on 500 m or more (more than the 50-100 m for A. mellifera mellifera), with multiple stings.

A.mellifera : swarm

INVASIVE ANTS I (7-8 sp.)

Commune characteristics :

- Polygyny (several queens), unicoloniality (several nests, one colony),

- Mating in the nest,

- Omnivora,

- High aggressiveness,

- Rapid mobilization of the populations,

- Sudden population explosions,

- Not all species venomous.

INVASIVE ANTS (II) - Not (or very rarely) a medical problem, but :

- Ecological problems, as a nuisance for the natural populations (arthropods, microvertebrates, plants) which are eliminated by the invasive ants.

- Also : many damages in houses (electric wire, plastic things).

Argentine ant

Linepithema humile

Yellow foolish ant

Anoplolepis gracilipes

Little fire ant

Wasmannia auropunctata

Fire ant

Solenopsis invicta

INVASIVE SPECIES : OTHER EXAMPLES

I) SNAKES : Boiga irregularis Guam island

II) AMPHIBIANS : Lithobates catesbeianus(Bullfrog)

III) FISH : Pterois sp. (Lionfish)

Boiga irregularis

INVASIVE SNAKE

- One example : Boiga irregularis, introduced possibly by US Army in Guam Island after the World War II

- It is an opisthoglyphous snake, i.e. a venomous snake, not dangerous for adults but possibly dangerous for children.

- Destroyer of the microendemic vertebrates fauna : rodents, bats, birds, lizards.

Lithobates catesbeianus

AMPHIBIA

- As snakes, the invasions of vertebrate species result from a human introduction, voluntarily or not, sometimes with the idea of the elimination of a “vermin”

CONCLUSIONS

- Role of climate changes limited, except in some arthropods (Lepidoptera, Coleoptera),

and some vertebrates (snakes)

- Role of human factors important concerning invasive venomous species (arthropods but also vertebrates), including some cases of adaptation of venomous species to anthropic environments.