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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #318092
Title: The effects of larval habitat quality on Aedes albopictus skip oviposition

Author
item DAVIS, TIMOTHY - University Of Florida
item KAUFMAN, PHILLIP - University Of Florida
item Hogsette, Jerome - Jerry
item Kline, Daniel - Dan

Submitted to: Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2015
Publication Date: 12/1/2015
Citation: Davis, T.J., Kaufman, P.E., Hogsette, Jr, J.A., Kline, D.L. 2015. The effects of larval habitat quality on Aedes albopictus skip oviposition. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. 31(4):321-328.

Interpretive Summary: Aedes albopictus, an invasive mosquito species that transmits disease-causing pathogens, lays eggs in containers in resource-limited habitats. To reduce larval competition, Ae. albopictus females may choose to distribute eggs from a one gonotrophic cycle among multiple containers through skip oviposition. We evaluated the oviposition choices made by gravid Ae. albopictus offered larval habitats of different qualities. Results show that Ae. albopictus does perform skip oviposition and that the degree of egg distribution is related to the quality of the larval habitat. Our results are important for mosquito control programs that use lethal ovitraps to kill mosquitoes. More research is needed on the effect of skip oviposition on pathogen distribution.

Technical Abstract: Aedes albopictus, an invasive mosquito species that transmits disease-causing pathogens, oviposits in containers in resource-limited habitats. To mitigate larval competition, Ae. albopictus females may choose to distribute eggs from a single gonotrophic cycle among multiple containers through skip oviposition. We evaluated the oviposition choices made by gravid Ae. albopictus offered larval habitats of different qualities. Results show that Ae. albopictus does perform skip oviposition and that the degree of egg distribution is related to the quality of the larval habitat. Our results are important for mosquito control programs that use lethal ovitraps. The effect of skip oviposition on pathogen distribution warrants further research.