Spatial and temporal population dynamics of male and female Aedes albopictus at a local scale in Medell\xedn, Colombia

Carolina Camargo,Juliana Agudelo,Luis Felipe Ramírez-Sánchez,Sara Villa-Arias,Frank W Avila,Catalina Alfonso-Parra,Sebastián Díaz,Diego F Rincon,Luisa M Barrientos

doi:10.1186/s13071-021-04806-2

Carolina Camargo, Juliana Agudelo + Show 7 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-021-04806-2

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Abstract

BackgroundDiseases transmitted by invasive Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are public health issues in the tropics and subtropics. Understanding the ecology of mosquito vectors is essential for the development of effective disease mitigation programs and will allow for accurate predictions of vector occurrence and abundance. Studies that examine mosquito population dynamics are typically focused on female presence or total adult captures without discriminating the temporal and spatial distribution of both sexes.MethodsWe collected immature and adult mosquitoes bimonthly for 2 years (2018–2019) in the Medellín Botanical Garden. Collection sites differed in proximity to buildings and nearby vegetation, and were classified by their overhead vegetation cover. We used linear mixed models (LMMs) and Spatial Analysis by Distance Indices (SADIE) to assess the spatial distribution of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Using our Ae. albopictus captures exclusively, we assessed (1) the spatial and temporal distribution of males and females using SADIE and a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), (2) the relationship between climatic variables/vegetation coverage and adult captures using GLMMs and LMMs, and (3) the correlation of male and female size in relation to climatic variables and vegetation coverage using LMMs.ResultsSpatial analysis showed that Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were distributed at different locations within the surveilled area. However, Ae. albopictus was the predominant species in the park during the study period. Adult Ae. albopictus captures were positively correlated with precipitation and relative humidity, and inversely correlated with temperature and wind speed. Moreover, we observed a spatial misalignment of Ae. albopictus males and females—the majority of males were located in the high vegetation coverage sites, while females were more evenly distributed. We observed significant associations of the size of our adult Ae. albopictus captures with precipitation, temperature, and wind speed for both sexes and found that overhead vegetation cover influenced male size, but observed no effect on female size.ConclusionsOur work elucidates the differential dynamics of Ae. albopictus males and females, which is pivotal to develop accurate surveillance and the successful establishment of vector control programs based on the disruption of insect reproduction.Graphical

Highlights

Diseases transmitted by invasive Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are public health issues in the tropics and subtropics
Our work elucidates the differential dynamics of Ae. albopictus males and females, which is pivotal to develop accurate surveillance and the successful establishment of vector control programs based on the disruption of insect reproduction
As we found that Ae. albopictus was the predominant species during the entirety of the study, accounting for ~ 95% of adult captures, we used our Ae. albopictus data exclusively to assess the influence of environmental variables on adult captures, size, and male–female distribution within the study area

Summary

Introduction

Diseases transmitted by invasive Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are public health issues in the tropics and subtropics. Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes are invasive species responsible for the dissemination of viruses that adversely affect human health, including the dengue [1], Zika [2], and chikungunya viruses [3]. Both species are present throughout the tropics and sub-tropics, and their populations often co-occur in the same habitats [4]. Aedes albopictus is further distributed in more temperate regions due to the ability of this species to tolerate low temperatures, diapause during winter months, and lay eggs that are resistant to desiccation [5–9]. Overlapping ecological niches of these two species can result in the competitive displacement of Ae. aegypti by Ae. albopictus or the stabilization and co-existence of both species [23, 24]

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