Differences in Responses to Urbanization Between Invasive Mosquitoes, Aedes japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) and Aedes albopictus, in Their Native Range, Japan.

Abstract

The Asian mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald), have invaded North America, Europe, and other regions since the late 20th century. In invasive ranges, Ae. albopictus has well been recognized as urban, domestic species, whereas views about the macrohabitats of Ae. j. japonicus are inconsistent. Previous reports in Japan suggest the disappearance of Ae. j. japonicus from metropolises. However, container-mosquito larvae have not been inspected simultaneously for various macro and microhabitats in metropolises in Japan. The current study in Fukuoka City, a metropolis in southwest Japan, confirmed the absence of Ae. j. japonicus irrespective of macrohabitats (temples with graveyards, shrines, public graveyards, cultivated bamboo groves, and urban forests, all within the area densely inhabited by humans) and microhabitats (container types). In contrast, Ae. albopictus was dominant throughout the macro and microhabitats except forest tree holes rich with competitive species. Past records indicate the disappearance of Ae. j. japonicus from metropolitan Fukuoka within the last 70 yr. Based on careful examination of available evidence, we concluded that 1) both species benefit from human-made environments with artificial containers free from competitors, 2) Ae. j. japonicus disappeared due to hot, dry summer conditions facilitated by urban heat-island effects and a decrease in favored mammal hosts, and 3) Ae. albopictus has proliferated with higher tolerance to hot, dry climate and a wider blood-feeding host-range including humans. This difference is important for efficient control of each species as well as predicting and preventing the expansion into new distribution ranges.