A comparison of life history traits of wild-caught Asian tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) across an urban landscape

NSF Fellow: Ian D. Jin, University of South Carolina

Mentor: Dr. Lisa D. Brown

The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is an invasive mosquito species that originated from Japan and is thought to have spread across the continents by the international used tire trade. Aedes albopictus is a competent vector for many arboviruses including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus. Life history traits of disease-causing organisms can be used to assess their vectorial capacity. For example: longevity, survival rates, fecundity, and body size can indicate a mosquito population's relative ability to transmit disease. As climate change and urban development continue to shape the Earth’s natural environments, understanding their effects on life history traits of mosquito populations will help inform public health agencies and prevent outbreaks of vector-borne pathogens. Using ArcGIS, three locations were selected and classified as Urban, Suburban and Rural based on their impervious surface coverage. Over a period of several weeks, Biogenic mosquito traps were used to collect egg and larvae of A. albopictus at each site. Larvae were reared in a temperature and humidity-controlled chamber until adulthood. Then mosquito wings were collected and measured by length using LASX microscope software. Sex of each adult was also recorded. Wing length data was analyzed using a 2-way ANOVA and Tukey’s multiple comparisons test; sex ratios were analyzed using a Chi-squared analysis. In both males and females, the Urban site had a significantly larger mean wing length than the Rural site. There was no significant difference in sex ratios across locations, however males comprised a larger proportion of the sample population at each site. The results yielded in this study suggest that Aedes albopictus in urban areas may have larger wings lengths and body sizes, indicating a potentially greater vectoral capacity. Further study and literature comparisons are needed to understand the effects of urban development on A. albopictus life history traits and capacity to transmit disease.