Abstract
Adequate predictions of mosquito-borne disease risk require an understanding of the relevant drivers governing mosquito populations. Since previous studies have focused mainly on the role of temperature, here we assessed the effects of other important ecological variables (predation, nutrient availability, presence of conspecifics) in conjunction with the role of temperature on mosquito life history parameters. We carried out two mesocosm experiments with the common brown house mosquito, Culex pipiens, a confirmed vector for West Nile Virus, Usutu and Sindbis, and a controphic species; the harlequin fly, Chironomus riparius. The first experiment quantified interactions between predation by Notonecta glauca L. (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) and temperature on adult emergence. The second experiment quantified interactions between nutrient additions and temperature on larval mortality and adult emergence. Results indicate that 1) irrespective of temperature, predator presence decreased mosquito larval survival and adult emergence by 20–50%, 2) nutrient additions led to a 3-4-fold increase in mosquito adult emergence and a 2-day decrease in development time across all temperature treatments, 3) neither predation, nutrient additions nor temperature had strong effects on the emergence and development rate of controphic Ch. riparius. Our study suggests that, in addition to of effects of temperature, ecological bottom-up (eutrophication) and top-down (predation) drivers can have strong effects on mosquito life history parameters. Current approaches to predicting mosquito-borne disease risk rely on large-scale proxies of mosquito population dynamics, such as temperature, vegetation characteristics and precipitation. Local scale management actions, however, will require understanding of the relevant top-down and bottom-up drivers of mosquito populations.
Highlights
Associations between anthropogenic pressures, disease risk and vector ecology are strong for mosquito-borne infections [1,2,3,4]
While temperature has been shown to be a key determinant of mosquito development, survival, and fitness [9,10,11,12,13,14] it is often not fully appreciated that mosquitoes inhabit complex ecosystems and are exposed to a myriad of local biotic and abiotic factors that likely influence the dynamics of mosquito populations [15,16,17,18]
The presence of N. glauca was associated with an average reduction in the mean number of adults emerged by 11±2.3 individuals (29–52% decrease)
Summary
Associations between anthropogenic pressures, disease risk and vector ecology are strong for mosquito-borne infections [1,2,3,4]. While temperature has been shown to be a key determinant of mosquito development, survival, and fitness [9,10,11,12,13,14] it is often not fully appreciated that mosquitoes inhabit complex ecosystems and are exposed to a myriad of local biotic and abiotic factors that likely influence the dynamics of mosquito populations [15,16,17,18] These factors operate on various scales, ranging from local-level pressures (e.g. pesticides, eutrophication) to regional (e.g. land use change) and global scales (e.g. climate change). Understanding how these biotic and abiotic factors in turn influence mosquito-borne disease risk requires quantifying how they interact to influence mosquito population dynamics
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