Ascogregarina infection reduces per capita growth rate in native and non-native hosts

Ascogregarina taiwanensis is a protist symbiont of Aedes albopictus and occasionally other non-native hosts with which Aedes albopictus can co-occur. Typically described as having little to no consequence on its native host, Ascogregarina taiwanensis has none the less been considered as a potential biocontrol agent of mosquito species in which it is not commonly found. In a laboratory cross infection experiment, we infected Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti larvae with three doses of parasites and determined the fitness consequence of infection by estimating per capita rate of growth, r'. Here we demonstrate that given sufficient levels of parasite exposure, both Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti suffer from reduced per capita growth rate, reduced wing size, and an increase in mortality.