Size as a proxy for survival in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the primary vector of dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Infection with the dengue virus alone occurs in an estimated 400 million people each year. Likelihood of infection with a virus transmitted by Ae. aegypti is most commonly attributed to abundance of the mosquito. However, the Arizona-Sonora desert region has abundant Ae. aegypti in most urban areas, yet local transmission of these arboviruses has not been reported in many of these cities. Previous work examined the role of differential Ae. aegypti longevity as a potential explanation for these discrepancies in transmission. To determine factors that were associated with Ae. aegypti longevity in the region, we collected eggs from ovitraps in Tucson, AZ and reared them under multiple experimental conditions in the laboratory to examine the relative impact of temperature and crowding during development, body size, fecundity, and relative humidity during the adult stage. Of the variables studied, we found that the combination of temperature during development, relative humidity, and body size produced the best model to explain variation in age at death.