Abstract
BackgroundAedes japonicus japonicus, first detected in Europe in 2000 and considered established in Germany 10 years later, is of medical importance due to its opportunistic biting behaviour and its potential to transmit pathogenic viruses. Its seasonal phenology, temperature and land use preference related to oviposition in newly colonised regions remain unclear, especially in the context of co-occurring native mosquito species.MethodsFocussing on regions in Germany known to be infested by Ae. japonicus japonicus, we installed ovitraps in different landscapes and their transition zones and recorded the oviposition activity of mosquitoes in relation to season, temperature and land use (arable land, forest, settlement) in two field seasons (May–August 2017, April–November 2018).ResultsAe. japonicus japonicus eggs and larvae were encountered in 2017 from June to August and in 2018 from May to November, with a markedly high abundance from June to September in rural transition zones between forest and settlement, limited to water temperatures below 30 °C. Of the three native mosquito taxa using the ovitraps, the most frequent was Culex pipiens s.l., whose offspring was found in high numbers from June to August at water temperatures of up to 35 °C. The third recorded species, Anopheles plumbeus, rarely occurred in ovitraps positioned in settlements and on arable land, but was often associated with Ae. japonicus japonicus. The least frequent species, Aedes geniculatus, was mostly found in ovitraps located in the forest.ConclusionsThe transition zone between forest and settlement was demonstrated to be the preferred oviposition habitat of Ae. japonicus japonicus, where it was also the most frequent container-inhabiting mosquito species in this study. Compared to native taxa, Ae. japonicus japonicus showed an extended seasonal activity period, presumably due to tolerance of colder water temperatures. Higher water temperatures and arable land represent distribution barriers to this species. The frequently co-occurring native species An. plumbeus might be useful as an indicator for potentially suitable oviposition habitats of Ae. japonicus japonicus in hitherto uncolonised regions. The results contribute to a better understanding of mosquito ecology and provide a basis for more targeted monitoring, distribution modelling and risk management of mosquitoes. Graphical
Highlights
Aedes japonicus japonicus, first detected in Europe in 2000 and considered established in Germany 10 years later, is of medical importance due to its opportunistic biting behaviour and its potential to transmit pathogenic viruses
The present study revealed the period of main oviposition activity (June–September), the tolerated water temperature range (5–29 °C) and favoured oviposition habitat of the Asian bush mosquito Ae. japonicus japonicus
According to the results of this study, the occurrence of this subspecies is not associated with specific tree species, which suggests that it has a broad tolerance of secondary plant compounds; this may facilitate its spread into areas with plants that do not occur in its area of origin
Summary
First detected in Europe in 2000 and considered established in Germany 10 years later, is of medical importance due to its opportunistic biting behaviour and its potential to transmit pathogenic viruses. Only the subspecies Ae. japonicus japonicus has been demonstrated to occur outside of its native area. In the USA, larval populations of the Asian bush mosquito have an advantage over those of native species like Aedes triseriatus (Say, 1823) and Aedes atropalpus (Coquillett, 1902) when developing at lower water temperatures and limited resources [22]. Larvae of Ae. japonicus japonicus are more sensitive to higher water temperatures than those of native species, e.g. Aedes atropalpus in the USA [23], which should prevent displacement of the latter
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