Aedes aegypti
Yellow Fever Mosquito-Faith Youngblood
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Introduction
Introduction
Aedes aegypti live in tropical environments year-round but travel to more temperate regions in the summer (Zettel & Kaufman, 2008).
found in 23 different states in the United States (Zettel & Kaufman, 2008).
They thrive in damp/humid environments (Zettel & Kaufman, 2008).
Primary source: Oviposition of Aedes aegypti
Figure 1. Yellow Fever Mosquito on a human. Image from https://ocalafamilydoctor.com/zika-virus-cdc-recomended-mosquito-control/
Taxonomy
Taxonomy
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diperta
Genus: Aedes
Specific Epithet: Linnaeus
Species: Aedes aegypti
Common Name: Yellow Fever Mosquito
Background
Background
Figure 2. Mosquito Larvae. Image from https://phys.org/news/2022-04-nanoparticles-effective-yellow-fever-mosquito.html
Males and females: consume plant nectar and bacteria (Zettel & Kaufman, 2008).
Females: consume blood of humans to produce eggs (Zettel & Kaufman, 2008).
Consume nectar, bacteria, and blood to obtain non-energetic nutrients like amino acids, vitamins, salts, metals, and sterols that aid in its internal processing (Zettel & Kaufman, 2008).
Eggs can survive drying out for up to 8 months (Salisbury, 1970)
They live near water sources and in damp environments, so water is always readily available (Zettel & Kaufman, 2008).
Figure 3. Mosquito after blood meal. Image from https://discover.hubpages.com/health/Mosquitoes-Are-the-Worlds-Worst-Mass-Killers
Females mate once and store male’s sperm in special organs called spermathocase (Salisbury, 1970).
Females consume human blood to produce 100-200 eggs per batch (Salisbury, 1970).
After living in water, they develop into adult, flying mosquitos and disperse by flying away (Zettel & Kaufman, 2008).
They have a tightly closed, hydrophobic outer cuticle to resist the entrance of microorganisms/predators (Zettel & Kaufman, 2008).
Figure 4. The six treatments presented to gravid females in this study: a-predator presence, b-actual predation, c-conspecific density, d-mechanical killing, e-mechanical killing vs. predation, f-bacterial activity; the control in all treatments is represented by the container on the left, while the treatment is represented by the container on the right (Albeny-Simões, 2014).
Data Analysis
Data Analysis
Scientists wanted to determine if/why the yellow fever mosquito laid eggs in areas that were abundant in its predator's, Toxorhynchites, and their eggs (Albeny-Simões, 2014).
Aedes aegypti were offered oviposition sites among: high predation presence (Toxorhynchites), act of predation, conspecific density, dead conspecific larvae, and bacterial activity (Albeny-Simões, 2014).
50 Adult Aedes aegypti per test group (Albeny-Simões, 2014).
for the experiment, the mosquitos were placed in cups, shown to the left, with each specified presence in each cup and a group of controls (Albeny-Simões, 2014).
Oviposition activity index (OAI) was used to determine which habitat was best fit according to the mosquitos (Albeny-Simões, 2014).
The OAI for both the act of predation and mechanical killing cups were .31 and .37, respectively, where all other cups had an OAI of .008 or less (Albeny-Simões, 2014).
The females preferred the habitat with the predator larvae that included the act of predation, as well as the habitats where its species had previously been killed (this prompts for predators to be there)
Conclusion
Conclusion
Found the mosquitos lay eggs near predators because it prompts them for ample bacterial food there, and therefore the highest chance for them finding bacterial food
This is important because this information gives insight to breeding patterns of Aedes aegypti, which could assist pest control forces in fighting the spread of yellow fever
References
References
Albeny-Simões, D., Murrell, E.G., Elliot, S.L. et al. Attracted to the enemy: Aedes
aegypti prefers oviposition sites with predator-killed conspecifics. Oecologia 175, 481–492
(2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-014-2910-1
Salisbury, D. (1970, February 3). Mosquito sperm have a sense of smell. Vanderbilt University. Retrieved February 14, 2023,
from https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2014/02/03/mosquitosperm/#:~:text=Female%20mosquitoes%2C%20which%20live%2 0for,they%20need%20to%20produce%20eggs
Zettel, C., & Kaufman, P. (2008). Featured Creatures. Yellow fever mosquito - aedes aegypti (linnaeus). Retrieved
February 14, 2023, from https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/aquatic/aedes_aegypti.htm
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