An attractive self-marking ovitrap (ASMO) to measure dispersal and determine skip oviposition in Aedes albopictus field populations

Mosquito larvae that inhabit containers encounter density dependent resource limitations that reduce fitness.  In order to mitigate larval competition, adult females may have the ability to distribute eggs from a single gonotrophic cycle over multiple containers through skip oviposition.  This study was conducted to determine if Aedes albopictus will exhibit skip oviposition in field populations and measure the dispersal distance between ovisites.  Attractive self-marking ovitraps (ASMOs) were developed to mark ovipositing mosquitoes and were located at two sites.  Marked mosquitoes were captured by sticky ovitraps that were placed over a 150 m distance originating from each ASMO.  Sticky ovitraps were changed every four days, one day less than the average Ae. albopictus gonotrophic cycle.  In 2012 and 2013, 2067 gravid females were captured and 153 of the captures were marked.  Thirty-seven of the marked females were captured within four days, indicating the visitation of two ovisites in a single gonotrophic period.  One hundred and sixteen of the marked females were captured within a 4-20 day period.  The mean distance traveled (MDT) from the ASMO to a sticky ovitrap for field site 1 and 2 was 70.02 m and 59.96 m, respectively.  The MDT for females marked and captured within four days for field site 1 and 2 was 30.26 m and 8.34 m, respectively.  Increasing MDT for skip ovipositing females was significantly correlated with increasing capture rate.  Our results indicate Ae. albopictus field populations perform skip oviposition and increasing populations result in greater distances traveled when performing skip oviposition.