Abstract
Male insects are expected to optimize their reproductive strategy according to the availability of sperm or other ejaculatory materials, and to the availability and reproductive status of females. Here, we investigated the reproductive strategy and sperm management of male and virgin female Aedes albopictus, a mosquito vector of chikungunya and dengue viruses. The dynamics of semen transfer to the female bursa inseminalis and spermathecae were observed. Double-mating experiments were conducted to study the effect of time lapsed or an oviposition event between two copulations on the likelihood of a female double-insemination and the use of sperm for egg fertilization; untreated fertile males and radio-sterilised males were used for this purpose. Multiple inseminations and therefore the possibility of sperm competition were limited to matings closely spaced in time. When two males consecutively mated the same female within a 40 min interval, in ca. 15% of the cases did both males sire progeny. When the intervals between the copulations were longer, all progeny over several gonotrophic cycles were offspring of the first male. The mating behavior of males was examined during a rapid sequence of copulations. Male Ae. albopictus were parceling sperm allocation over several matings; however they would also attempt to copulate with females irrespective of the available sperm supply or accessory gland secretion material. During each mating, they transferred large quantities of sperm that was not stored for egg fertilization, and they attempted to copulate with mated females with a low probability of transferring their genes to the next generation. The outcomes of this study provided in addition some essential insights with respect to the sterile insect technique (SIT) as a vector control method.
Highlights
Biting mosquito females from the Aedes genus can transfer viruses and nematodes to humans, some of which are responsible for severe diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and lymphatic filiariasis [1]
This study brings a better understanding of the mechanisms of sperm transfer in various situations and on the likelihood of multiple insemination of female Ae. albopictus, and gives an indication of the sexual strategy of the male sex of the species
Colonized Ae. albopictus mosquitoes were used for these laboratory-based investigations, and it would be interesting to verify the behavior of male and female in response to a first mating with wild mosquitoes
Summary
Biting mosquito females from the Aedes genus can transfer viruses and nematodes to humans, some of which are responsible for severe diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and lymphatic filiariasis [1]. Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus are the two major species responsible for disease transmission They are very aggressive and effective in invading and settling into new regions [2] which has resulted in increased disease transmission risk [3,4], epitomizing the urgent need for the development and implementation of sustainable integrated vector control programs. These programs can include the sterile insect technique (SIT) (classical SIT, or SIT using Wolbachia-modified or genetically modified mosquitoes) where the release of sterile males can reduce wild local mosquito populations. This study attempts to bring a better understanding of male Ae. albopictus reproductive strategies and their implications for the sterile insect technique
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