Utilising mosquito iDNA for monitoring mammals and birds within a semi-controlled environment

<p dir="ltr">Robust biomonitoring methods are essential for protecting and managing biodiversity. In Australia, 60% of mammal species and 31% of bird species are listed as threatened due to an array of anthropogenic stressors. Traditional sampling techniques have many limitations: they are labour intensive, time-inefficient and costly. A recent novel approach, invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA), detects targeted species passively sampling the invertebrates feeding on genetic material sources (e.g. blood). Here we investigated the use of mosquito iDNA to identify birds and mammals over a distance gradient at Taronga Zoo, using a mammal (16S mtDNA) and a vertebrate (12S mtDNA) primer. The aims of this project were to assess the diversity of species detected within our study area; the distances at which species could be detected from their source, and the bloodmeal preferences of the sampled mosquitoes. Our findings showed that mosquitoes had a significant preference for local Australian species, with only one exotic species detected. Targeted species could be detected up to 177 m from their enclosure. While <i>Culex </i>mosquitoes were more opportunistic, Aedes mosquitoes showed a significant preference for mammalian species. Overall, this study highlighted the potential for using mosquito iDNA to passively monitor native birds and mammals.</p>