Reproductive fitness of Aedes aegypti males, raised under different nutritional regimens

Sterile Insect Technique is a method of insect extermination in lieu of pesticides that has been suggested to control populations of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti the principal vector of Dengue fever. In this study we focused on the effects of nutrition on male reproductive success. Mosquito nutrition during the larval phase determines the size of adult mosquitoes. We raised two groups of mosquitoes: larger males’ wing length will range between 2.5-2.7mm and smaller males with a wing length of 1.7-1.9mm.

We identified a large number of microsatellites in the genome of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti and tested 49 primer pairs via genomic PCR in order to identify microsatellites that can be used to distinguish between several mosquito laboratory strains. We identified seven informative microsatellites that can be used to distinguish the four lab strains that are part of this study: ROCK, UGAL, Las Cruces, and Waco.

Cross experiments were set up in separate mating cages, where one small male from one strain competed with a large male from another strain for a single female for 24 hours. The paternal strain of the offspring of these crosses was determined via microsatellite analysis. Through a series of crosses, we will be able to determine if nutritional regimens during larval stages have an effect on male reproductive fitness.