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Climate change is significantly impacting the geographic range of many animal species and their associated microorganisms, hence influencing emergence of vector-borne diseases. Mosquito-borne viruses represent a potential major reservoir of human pathogens, highlighting the need for improved understanding of ecological factors associated with variation in the mosquito viral community (virome). Here, a subtractive hybridization method coupled with RNAseq of individual mosquito specimens was used to profile RNA viromes of individual co-occurringAedes albopictusandAedes vexansmosquitoes across a 2,000 km spatial scale. Samples were collected and archived by the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) from four ecologically variable sites in the Southeastern United States between 2018 and 2019. Results of multivariate analysis suggest that mosquito species are an important factor in RNA viral community composition. Significantly higher viral diversity was detected inA. albopictuscompared toA.vexans. However, season, year, and site of sample collection did not show strong association with virome profiles, supporting the hypothesis that factors unique to the mosquito host species (e.g., larval habitat or vector competence) influence the structure of mosquito viromes. 

Cases of tick-borne diseases have been steadily increasing in the USA, owing in part to tick range expansion, land cover and associated host population changes, and habitat fragmentation. However, the relative importance of these and other potential drivers remain poorly understood within this complex disease system. Ticks are ectotherms with multi-host lifecycles, which makes them sensitive to changes in the physical environment and the ecological community. Here, we describe data collected by the National Ecological Observatory Network on tick abundance, diversity and pathogen infection. Ticks are collected using drag or flag methods multiple times in a growing season at 46 terrestrial sites across the USA. Ticks are identified and enumerated by a professional taxonomist, and a subset of nymphs are PCR-tested for various tick-borne pathogens. These data will enable multiscale analyses to better understand how drivers of tick dynamics and pathogen prevalence may shift with climate or land-use change.