Effects of photoperiod on population performance and sexually dimorphic responses in two major arbovirus mosquito vectors, Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (04) ◽  
pp. 177-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.S. Costanzo ◽  
R.A. Dahan ◽  
D. Radwan

AbstractThe Asian tiger mosquito,Aedes albopictus(Skuse) and the yellow fever mosquito,Aedes aegypti(Linnaeus) are medically important species that vector several arboviruses. Globally, populations of both species experience (and are sensitive to) photoperiodic variations. The present study aims to test if photoperiod regimes affect the population performance ofAe. albopictusandAe. aegypti. Since mosquitoes have sex-specific strategies to maximize fitness, we also tested the hypothesis thatAe. albopictusandAe. aegyptiwould exhibit differences in the male and female response (sexually dimorphic response) to various photoperiod treatments. We reared cohorts of first instar larvae to adulthood in three photoperiod treatments: short day (10 h light), control (12 h light) and long day (14 h light). We measured and compared survival to adulthood, population growth, development time of males and females, and wing length across treatments. Although we detected no effects of photoperiod on the population performance of both species, we found evidence of a sexual dimorphic response to photoperiod inAe. albopictus, but not inAe. aegypti, withAe. albopictusfemales being more sensitive to variations in photoperiod. The observed differences between sexes ofAe. albopictusare consistent with sex-specific developmental constraints. The absence of a sexually dimorphic response to photoperiod inAe. aegyptican be attributed to different strategies evolved in this species to prepare for unfavourable conditions associated with shorter day length. We discuss the ecological and medical implications of our findings.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Vittoria Mancini ◽  
Christie S. Herd ◽  
Thomas H. Ant ◽  
Shivan M. Murdochy ◽  
Steven P. Sinkins

AbstractThe global incidence of arboviral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, including dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika, has increased dramatically in recent decades. The release of Aedes aegypti carrying the maternally inherited symbiont Wolbachia as an intervention to control arboviruses is being trialled in several countries. However, these efforts are compromised in many endemic regions due to the co-localization of the secondary vector Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito. Ae. albopictus has an expanding global distribution following incursions into a number of new territories. To date, only the wMel and wPip strains of Wolbachia have been reported to be transferred into and characterized in this vector. A Wolbachia strain naturally infecting Drosophila simulans, wAu, was selected for transfer into a Malaysian Ae. albopictus line to create a novel triple-strain infection. The newly generated line showed self-compatibility, moderate fitness cost and complete resistance to Zika and dengue infections.Author summaryAedes albopictus, the invasive Asian tiger mosquito, is responsible for numerous outbreaks of important viruses such as dengue and Zika in various regions of the world. The need for alterative control interventions propelled the development of a novel approach that exploits a natural insect symbiont, Wolbachia; when transferred into non-native hosts, these maternally-inherited bacteria are able to interfere with the transmission of mosquito-borne viruses, and also provide reproductive advantages to the host, offering a promising tool for self-sustaining field applications. Currently, several field trials are ongoing for the primary vector of dengue and several other arboviruses, Aedes aegypti, providing encouraging results. In this study, Ae. albopictus has been targeted for a similar approach: this mosquito species naturally carries two strains of Wolbachia. The artificial introduction of a third, non-native strain made this line less able to transmit dengue and Zika viruses and had an impact on its fitness.


Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 628
Author(s):  
Morgane Guégan ◽  
Edwige Martin ◽  
Claire Valiente Moro

The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is a major pathogen vector and one of the world’s most invasive species. In recent years, the study of mosquito-associated microbiota has received growing interest for reducing transmission of mosquito-borne pathogens. Most of studies on mosquito microbiota mainly focused on the gut bacteria. However, microorganisms can also colonize other organs and are not restricted to bacteria. In mosquitoes, the crop is the primary storage organ for sugars from the nectar feeding before it is transferred into the midgut for digestion. No study has yet investigated whether this organ can harbor microorganisms in Ae. albopictus. By using high-throughput sequencing, this study is the first to describe the microbiota including both bacteria and fungi in sugar-fed Ae. albopictus males and females. The results showed the presence of diverse and rich bacterial and fungal communities in the crop of both sexes that did not strongly differ from the community composition and structure found in the gut. Altogether, our results provide a thorough description of the crop-associated microbiota in Ae. albopictus which can open new avenues for further studies on trophic interactions between the mosquito and its microbiota.


Author(s):  
Abdullah A Alomar ◽  
Barry W Alto ◽  
Edward D Walker

Abstract Sugar is an essential source of nutrition for adult mosquitoes to acquire energy. Toxic sugar bait (TSB) provides a promising method for mosquito control by incorporating toxins into artificial sources of sugar (i.e., toxic baits) presented to wild populations. Spinosyns comprise a family of bacterial secondary metabolites with a unique mode of action against the insect nervous system, an appealing environmental safety profile, and potential for incorporation into sugar baits. This research evaluated acute and subacute effects of spinosad (spinosyns A and D) and spinetoram (spinosyns J and L) in sugar meals on survival, fecundity, and fertility of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Acute toxicity of spinosyns doubled from 24 to 48 h of assessment, revealing a relatively slow and cumulative action of the formulated spinosyns. Median lethal concentrations at 48 h were lower for spinetoram than for spinosad, lower for Ae. albopictus than Ae. aegypti, and lower for males than females. When exposed to subacute LC50 concentrations of spinosad and spinetoram for 24 h, survival of males and females of both species was diminished compared with controls, fecundity of females was increased, but fertility as measured by hatch rate of eggs was decreased. The formulations may have increased the nutritive value of the sugar meals thereby boosting fecundity, while toxifying embryos, reducing fertility. The inclusion of subacute effects of spinosyns allows assessment of the broader consequences of TSB for adult mosquito control.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Leila Ferreira-Keppler ◽  
Ulisses Gaspar Neiss ◽  
Sharlene Roberta da Silva Torreias ◽  
Claudimir Menezes Campos

Abstract Alocasia macrorrhizos (L.) G.Don grows and proliferates in shaded areas in several forest fragments in urban zones. The adult plant has axils that accumulate rain water (phytotelmata) and serve as breeding sites for several families of aquatic insects. The objective of this study was to determine the composition of the entomofauna associated with water accumulations in axils of A. macrorrhizos in urban areas of Manaus, Brazil. Individuals of A. macrorrhizos were sampled in five forest fragments, between April/2005 and March/2007 in urban areas of Manaus, totaling 184 sampling units. A manual suction hose was used for the removal of entomofauna. A total of 1,941 immatures of Diptera were collected representing the following families: Culicidae (96.5%), Chironomidae (2%), Psychodidae (0.7%), Ephydridae (0.7%) and Corethrellidae (0.1%). Five Culicidae species were identified: Wyeomyia melanocephala Dyar & Knab, 1906 (91.7%), Wy. ypsipola Dyar, 1922 (4.3%), Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) (2.3%), Ae. aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) (1.5%) and Johnbelkinia longipes (Fabricius, 1805) (0.1%). The members of Culicidae were the most abundant, confirming the importance of this group in communities associated with phytotelmata, with a positive relation to the volume of water (p < 0.05). The occurrence of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in axils of A. macrorrhizos demonstrates the potential of this Araceae as a breeding site of these medically important species. However, the real contribution of this Araceae in the maintenance and dispersion of populations of these two species of mosquitoes throughout the year should be further studied.


2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (12) ◽  
pp. 4202-4209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas L Schmidt ◽  
Jessica Chung ◽  
Anthony R Rooyen ◽  
Angus Sly ◽  
Andrew R Weeks ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Mutizwa Odwell Muzari ◽  
Joe Davis ◽  
Rodney Bellwood ◽  
Bruce Crunkhorn ◽  
Ewan Gunn ◽  
...  

Most of the inhabited islands in the Torres Strait region of Australia have experienced dengue outbreaks transmitted by Aedes aegypti at various times since at least the 1890s. However, another potential dengue vector, Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, was detected for the first time in 2005 and it expanded across most of the Torres Strait within a few years. In 2016, a survey of container-inhabiting mosquitoes was conducted in all island communities and Ae. aegypti was undetectable on most of the islands which the species had previously occupied, and had been replaced by Ae. albopictus. It is suspected that competitive displacement was responsible for the changes in species distribution. Aedes aegypti was only detected on Boigu Island and Thursday Island. Recent dengue outbreaks in the Torres Strait have apparently been driven by both Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti. The findings have major implications on management of dengue outbreaks in the region.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1653
Author(s):  
Rhys Parry ◽  
Maddie E James ◽  
Sassan Asgari

Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, and Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, are the most significant vectors of dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya viruses globally. Studies examining host factors that control arbovirus transmission demonstrate that insect-specific viruses (ISVs) can modulate mosquitoes’ susceptibility to arbovirus infection in both in vivo and in vitro co-infection models. While research is ongoing to implicate individual ISVs as proviral or antiviral factors, we have a limited understanding of the composition and diversity of the Aedes virome. To address this gap, we used a meta-analysis approach to uncover virome diversity by analysing ~3000 available RNA sequencing libraries representing a worldwide geographic range for both mosquitoes. We identified ten novel viruses and previously characterised viruses, including mononegaviruses, orthomyxoviruses, negeviruses, and a novel bi-segmented negev-like group. Phylogenetic analysis suggests close relatedness to mosquito viruses implying likely insect host range except for one arbovirus, the multi-segmented Jingmen tick virus (Flaviviridae) in an Italian colony of Ae. albopictus. Individual mosquito transcriptomes revealed remarkable inter-host variation of ISVs within individuals from the same colony and heterogeneity between different laboratory strains. Additionally, we identified striking virus diversity in Wolbachia infected Aedes cell lines. This study expands our understanding of the virome of these important vectors. It provides a resource for further assessing the ecology, evolution, and interaction of ISVs with their mosquito hosts and the arboviruses they transmit.


ENTOMON ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 223-230
Author(s):  
S. Sunil Kumar ◽  
D.A. Evans ◽  
K. Muthulakshmi ◽  
T. DilipKumar ◽  
R. Heera Pillai ◽  
...  

Mosquito index study of three ecologically different ecozones of the Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala showed sharp difference on the proportionate distribution of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Human dengue viremia (HDV) was very high in those ecozones where A.aegypti density was high and HDV was low where A.albopictus was high. In a coastal zone of Thiruvananthapuram city, A. aegypti was the most abundant vector and in a hilly, arid suburban zone, A.albopictus was the abundant vector. In the urban zone both species of mosquitoes showed equal distribution. Study on the circulating serotypes in the serum of HDV by Single step single tube Multiplex PCR showed all the four serotypes viz DENV1, DENV2, DENV3 and DENV4 in patients of Thiruvananthapuram city, which indicated the possibility of Dengue Shock Syndrome, unless there is efficient vector management. Among the four dengue serotypes, Type 1 was the most abundant virus. Abundance of microhabitats in Thiruvananthapuram city, which support A. aegypti may be the reason for high prevalence of dengue fever in the urban zone.


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