Effect of Larval Food Availability on Adult Aedes Aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Fitness and Susceptibility to Zika Infection

Abstract

Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) is a mosquito species of significant medical importance. The use of this vector in research studies usually requires a large number of mosquitoes as well as rearing and maintenance in a laboratory-controlled environment. However, laboratory conditions may be different from field environments, presenting stressful challenges such as low food concentration, especially during larval stages, which may, in turn, impair vector biology. Therefore, we tested herein if larval food availability (0.004, 0.009, 0.020, and 0.070% diets) would affect overall adult insect fitness. We observed slower development in mosquitoes fed a 0.004% diet 15 d post-eclosion (DPE) and shorter mean time in mosquitoes fed a 0.020% diet (7 DPE). Larval diet and adult mosquito weight were positively correlated, and heavier females fed higher larval diets exhibited greater blood feeding capacity and oviposition. In addition, larval diet concentrations led to median adult lifespan variations (male/female in days—0.004%: 30 ± 1.41, 45 ± 1.3; 0.009%: 31.5 ± 1.33, 41 ± 1.43; 0.020%: 26 ± 1.18, 41 ± 1.45; 0.070%: 29 ± 1.07, 44 ± 1.34), reduced tolerance to deltamethrin (1 mg/m2) and changes in detoxification enzyme activities. Moreover, in the larval 0.070% diet, females presented higher Zika susceptibility (plaque-forming unit [PFU]: 1.218 × 106) compared with other diets (0.004%: 1.31 × 105; 0.009%: 2.0 × 105; 0.020%: 1.25 × 105 PFU). Altogether, our study demonstrates that larval diet restriction results not only in larval developmental arrest but also in adult fitness impairment, which must be considered in future assessments.

Interspecies Isobaric Labeling-Based Quantitative Proteomics Reveals Protein Changes in the Ovary of Aedes aegypti Coinfected With ZIKV and Wolbachia

“…On the other hand, female mosquitoes with regular blood-feeding presented high oviposition, probably mediated by nutrition influence in hormones, and it enhanced ZIKV infection ( Rocha-Santos et al., 2021 ). This may lead to comprehension of reproduction–immunity trade-offs in insects.…”

Developmental temperature predicts body size, flight, and pollen load in a widespread butterfly

“…The effect of warming temperatures on insect body size is of particular concern (Gardner et al, 2011) because this trait is tightly correlated with ecological function in nature. For example, larger dung beetles transfer more nutrients into soil (Stanbrook et al, 2021), larger‐bodied pollinators carry more pollen (Földesi et al, 2021) and transmit more parasites (Van Wyk et al, 2021), and larger mosquitoes can ingest a greater volume of blood (Rocha‐Santos et al, 2021). Additionally, larger insects often have higher fecundity (Honĕk, 1993), fly longer distances (Jahant‐Miller et al, 2022; Yang et al, 2016), and have higher mating success (Zhang et al, 2021) than their smaller conspecifics.…”

Interspecies isobaric labeling-based quantitative proteomics reveals protein changes in the ovary of Aedes aegypti co-infected with ZIKV and Wolbachia

“…As it was discussed before, Wolbachia decreases enzyme levels of the JH pathway, and it might interfere in vitellogenesis, together with the yellow protein downregulation. On the other hand, female mosquitoes with regular blood feeding presented a high oviposition, probably mediated by nutrition influence in hormones, and it enhanced ZIKV infection (Rocha-Santos et al, 2021). This may lead to comprehension of reproduction–immunity trade-offs in insects.…”