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

Abstract

Container-inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes are successful invaders and important arthropod-borne disease vectors worldwide. In North America, a subtropical assemblage containing introduced Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti and the native Aedes triseriatus have served as a model for investigating ecological interactions during invasions and focused on the outcomes at the larval stages. We report a hypothesis driven study of a more temperate container Aedes assemblage at the adult population level monitored in the state of New Jersey during a 9-year period. The invasive A. albopictus and Aedes japonicus abundances increased by a factor of two, whereas A. triseriatus abundance decreased by a factor of three. Spatiotemporal analysis indicated these trends were coincident especially in the areas invaded by A. albopictus, leading to partial displacement of A. triseriatus. Although the invasive species reached peak abundance in highly urbanized areas, the native species' rate of decline was similar across the urbanization gradient. Higher winter temperatures and precipitation favored increased A. albopictus abundance suppressing A. triseriatus adult populations in turn, whereas A. japonicus abundance was promoted by summer precipitation. The results validate the conceptual framework developed for subtropical container Aedes and suggest that the current climatic trends will favor further spread of A. albopictus, amplifying public health concerns.

Invasion Biology ofAedes japonicus japonicus(Diptera: Culicidae)

“…j. japonicus could eventually be restricted to the northern US states and Canada and that part of the range restriction will involve the northward spread of Ae. albopictus as temperatures rise (80). However, these predictions assume that Ae.…”

“…j. japonicus appears to be displacing species from larval habitats, there is little indication that a related decline in adult populations of these mosquitoes is occurring. Rochlin et al (80) present evidence based on light trap data that Ae. triseriatus adult numbers are declining in an area where both Ae.…”

Climate Change and Range Expansion of the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) in Northeastern USA: Implications for Public Health Practitioners

“…Specifically, winter temperature and precipitation were shown as the most critical climatic factors limiting Ae. albopictus abundance and distribution in northeastern USA and other areas close to its northernmost boundary distribution [21], [23]. Landscape variables were then entered in the model and retained if the goodness-of-fit was improved.…”

Occurrence and Spread of the Invasive Asian Bush Mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) in West and North Germany since Detection in 2012 and 2013, Respectively

“…Experimentally, it was able to transmit Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, dengue, chikungunya, Rift Valley fever and Getah viruses [20–24], while in the field, it was found infected with Japanese encephalitis, West Nile and La Crosse viruses [25–27]. In addition to being a potential vector, the species is suspected to replace indigenous mosquito species once established in a new area [28, 29]. …”