European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ISOLATION OF BACTERIA AND FILAMENTOUS FUNGI FROM INSECTS SAMPLED DURING FLIGHT

Amer Aldahi and Mohammed Althobiti*

ABSTRACT

In this study, two novel techniques used for the isolation of insects in flight, A drone elevated sampler and an octanol-based midge/mosquito sampler. Insects were sampled at a height of 120 meters using a drone–towed fabric sleeve and their microbial content studied. The major point of interest behind this work is the use of a drone-towed sleeve to sample the insects. As far as can be determined, this is the first reported use of this approach to sample high flying insects in relation to a study of their microbiology. The use of a drone was shown to be ideal for the high altitude sampling of insects since it proved to be both powerful and highly manoeuvrable and there is no doubt that the drone used could have been used to sample at greater heights than the 120 m used here. The results relating to the microbiology of the insects sampled using the drone are not surprisingly similar to those obtained using other sampling methods, since the drone, of course, does not necessarily sample insects which differ from those obtained using more traditional approaches. This study contains results relating to the isolation of bacteria and fungi from insects. The work described has implications for the transfer of potential human pathogenic bacteria, notably to immunocompromised patients and also plant pathogenic fungi, in this case notably of trees.

Keywords: Isolation, Insects, Fungi, Flight, Drone, octanol-based.