Interspecific mating between Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in the laboratory

[摘要] Introduction: some research has been done to verify the possible interspecific mating between these species, but only a few studies have obtained positive results. Objective: verify the possibility of obtaining viable eggs by cross-mating Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Methods: reciprocal mating was performed between Aedes aegypti from the insectary at the Vector Control Department of "Pedro Kourí" Tropical Medicine Institute and a population of Aedes albopictus (first progeny from a wild population). The experiment was conducted in the laboratory. Cages of two sizes were used: 20x20x20 cm and 60x60x60 cm. Eggs were obtained from cross-mating between Aedes albopictus females and Aedes aegypti males, and also from cross-mating between Aedes aegypti females and Aedes albopictus males, but only in the latter variant were the eggs fertile. Results: cross-mating between Aedes aegypti females and Aedes albopictus males produced more eggs than cross-mating between Aedes albopictus females and Aedes aegypti males, but in the latter variant eggs were not viable. Insemination occurred in the cross-mating between Aedes aegypti females and Aedes albopictus males. Eggs obtained from the cross-mating of Aedes aegypti females and Aedes albopictus males were viable, and the larvae and pupae showed fast development (7 days). Conclusions: the possibility that a new mosquito resulting from this cross-mating exists in nature could be a novel research topic in the area of dengue transmission by heterosis.

[学科分类] 传染病学

[关键词] interspecific mating;Aedes aegypti;Aedes albopictus