Interspecific Competition Among Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, and Ae. triseriatus (Diptera: Culicidae): Larval Development in Mixed Cultures

Abstract

Interactions among the larvae of Aedes aegypti (L.), Ae. albopictus (Skuse), and Ae. triseriatus (Say) were studied in trispecific and bispecific mixed populations under laboratory and field conditions. Competitive stress (as evidenced by the average time to first, 50, and 75% pupation and the total pupation periods for mixed populations of each species in comparison with their single species controls) was more pronounced in mixed cultures reared in glass jars in the laboratory than in tires under field conditions. In the laboratory, the larval development of Ae. aegypti reared together with Ae. albopictus or Ae. triseriatus, or both, larvae was accelerated significantly. Conversely, the time to pupation for Ae. albopictus and Ae. triseriatus was delayed when reared with Ae. aegypti. However, the average wing length of female Ae. albopictus and Ae. triseriatus was greater in the mixed cultures than in single species cultures. These data indicated that the effect of intraspecific competition was greater than interspecific competition. Adequate food and higher temperature appeared to promote rapid development and higher survival of the immature stages of the three Aedes species in tires placed in the field. In general, Ae. triseriatus larvae required a longer period for larval development and had greater larval mortality than either Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus. In mixed populations of Ae, albopictus and Ae. aegypti in the jars and food-rich tires, the periods needed to attain first, 50, and 75% cumulative pupation were not significantly different than in single species controls. We conclude that no clear-cut displacement occurred in mixed experimental populations of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus.

A field test for competitive effects of Aedes albopictus on A. aegypti in South Florida: differences between sites of coexistence and exclusion?

“…Field (Juliano 1998) and laboratory (Barrera 1996;Daugherty et al 2000) competition experiments using decaying plant material as a substrate for the bacterial food of larvae indicate that A. albopictus is superior to A. aegypti in resource competition, maintaining greater population growth at higher combined densities (Juliano 1998;Daugherty et al 2000), and producing greater survivorship during periods of low food availability (Barrera 1996). Thus, it is possible that resource competition among larvae could contribute to the displacement of A. aegypti by A. albopictus in much of southeastern USA These experiments, and indeed all other experiments on interspecific competition involving North American A. albopictus (e.g., Black et al 1989;Ho et al 1989;Livdahl and Willey 1991;Novak et al 1993;Teng and Apperson 2000;Lounibos et al 2002) were conducted under conditions in which interspecific competition among larvae would be obvious, and so were designed to answer the question: Which species has a competitive advantage, assuming that competition is occurring? Another important question remains: Is interspecific competition important under the typical conditions in which these species interact in the field?…”

Clima e sobreposição da distribuição de Aedes aegypti e Aedes albopictus na infestação do Estado de São Paulo

“…albopictus, pois oscilações na abundância daquela espécie já ocorreram nesse país, principalmente nas décadas de 50 e 60. 1,10,15 Em 1986, um ano depois da detecção de municípi-os infestados por Ae. aegypti a Oeste do Estado de São Paulo, 6 foi registrada a introdução de Ae.…”

“…14,15 São cada vez maiores as evidências de que a ampliação das áreas de ocorrência de doenças transmitidas por vetores em vários continentes e seu agravamento tiveram, entre outros determinantes, o aumento da temperatura do planeta, especialmente nos últimos 100 anos (0 3 Vários autores têm realizado estudos sobre o assunto sem conseguir confirmar se esses fenômenos foram realmente resultantes de competição entre essas espécies. 10,15 Dessa forma, considerando a importância das condições climáticas na dispersão das populações de Ae. aegypti e Ae.…”

The rise of the invasives and decline of the natives: insights revealed from adult populations of container-inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in temperate North America

“…The subtropical container Aedes assemblage in Florida, which consists of A. albopictus, A. triseriatus, and another invasive species, Aedes aegypti (L.), is the best described (Ho et al 1989;Edgerly et al 1999;Lounibos et al 2001;Ellis et al 2006;Juliano 2009). However, A. aegypti is not found in much of the eastern USA, where the Asian bush mosquito Aedes japonicus (Theobald), a recently introduced species which has not been adequately characterized from an ecological standpoint, is a common member of a temperate container Aedes assemblage (Peyton et al 1999).…”