Abstract
Simple SummaryOne of the most promising control methods against Aedes albopictus is the sterile insect technique, which consists of mass rearing the target species, separation of males from females, and male exposure to sterilizing ionizing radiation. Once released in the environment, the sterile males are expected to search for wild females to mate with. The quality of sterile males is a crucial aspect in SIT programs in order to optimize effectiveness and limit production costs. The integration of probiotic microorganisms in larval and adult mosquito diets could enhance the quality parameters of the released sterile males.In Europe, one of the most significant mosquitoes of public health importance is Aedes albopictus (Skuse), an allochthonous species of Asian origin. One of the most promising control methods against Aedes albopictus is the sterile insect technique (SIT), which consists of mass rearing the target species, separation of males from females, and male exposure to sterilizing ionizing radiation. Once released in the environment, the sterile males are expected to search for wild females to mate with. If mating occurs, no offspring is produced. The quality of sterile males is a crucial aspect in SIT programs in order to optimize effectiveness and limit production costs. The integration of probiotic microorganisms in larval and adult mosquito diets could enhance the quality parameters of the released sterile males. In this review, we attempt to give the most representative picture of the present knowledge on the relationships between gut microbiota of mosquitoes and the natural or artificial larval diet. Furthermore, the possible use of probiotic microorganisms for mosquito larvae rearing is explored. Based on the limited amount of data found in the literature, we hypothesize that a better understanding of the interaction between mosquitoes and their microbiota may bring significant improvements in mosquito mass rearing for SIT purposes.
Highlights
Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles mosquitoes can be considered among the most relevant, medically important insects responsible for spreading human diseases, which are either caused by parasites or by numerous arboviruses (e.g., Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, and West Nile) [1]
There are many factors that can interfere with larval development, such as water temperature, water quality, and environmental conditions, in this review, we focus exclusively on the microorganisms that can act as supplements to the microbiota, in order to improve various results of mosquito breeding, such as development and larval growth and the performance of the irradiated adult mosquitoes
These microorganisms appear to contribute to the larval development of mosquitoes, acting as intermediate consumers: the protozoa that feed on bacteria themselves become food for the mosquito larvae, providing a direct link in the transfer of bacterial biomass [65,66]
Summary
Culex, and Anopheles mosquitoes can be considered among the most relevant, medically important insects responsible for spreading human diseases, which are either caused by parasites (e.g., malaria and filariasis) or by numerous arboviruses (e.g., Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, and West Nile) [1]. From a performance perspective, producing better quality sterile males can lead to the release of more competitive insects in the field This aspect can be very useful, as it could result in a smaller number of released males, reducing production costs [14,15]. The achievement of this objective could be facilitated by the standardization and improvement of the rearing conditions, including the optimization of the larval medium. As already proposed for the implementation of SIT mass rearing facilities of important agronomic pests [24], the integration of probiotic microorganisms in larval and adult mosquito diets could enhance the quality parameters of the released sterile males. This review does not investigate the aspect linked to microorganisms that can be pathogens or control agents of mosquito larvae
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