Effect of container size and food availability on adult fitness of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Globally, Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) and Ae. albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) (Diptera: Culicidae) are the primary vectors of dengue virus (DENV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Larvae of the two mosquito species co-occur in water-filled, human-made containers of various sizes and often attain very high densities leading to intra- and interspecific larval competition for space and nutritional resources. Such density-dependent stressors can affect adult mosquito fitness including body size and longevity. In this project, we conducted laboratory experiments to determine if larval competition for space or for nutritional resources has a greater impact on adult fitness for both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Understanding which factors in the larval environment have the greatest impact on adult fitness can improve our understanding of the role environmental factors play in mosquito disease transmission.