Bionomics of Autogenous Mosquitoes Andrew Spielman Presented by Anthony Clemons 1 st Year Grad Student
Keywords Defined Bionomics – comprehensive study of an organism and its relationship to its environment Autogeny – egg production through facultative blood-feeding – Facultative - BF when conditions permit Anautogeny - egg production through obligate blood feeding – Obligate – BF is necessary for egg production
Fecundity – the ability to reproduce Diapause – delay in development in response to regulatory or adverse environmental conditions Corpora allata – endocrine gland which generates juvenile hormone – Juvenile hormone – promotes larval development and inhibits metamorphosis Corpora cardiaca – function in the storage and secretion of brain hormones i.e. neurosecretory hormone
Focus of Article To bring together some of the literature that has characterized facultative blood-feeding
Autogeny vs Anautogeny Autogenous mosquito can lay one clutch of eggs before the requirement of a blood-meal (BM) for subsequent egg lays Absence of diapause, the arrest of ovary development Small clutch size (non- BM egg lay) Anautogenous mosquito require 1 or in some cases 2 (super-anautogeny) BM before they are able to lay eggs Diapause Large clutch size
Contributing Factors Genetics Nutrition (Possible link to genetics) Environment
Genetics Chromosome III carries information that regulates autogeny Chromosome I carries genetic information that modifies the penetrance of genetic information from Chromosome III Quantitative trait loci determine autogeny and body size in Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) A. Mori et. al. Heredity 2008
Nutrition
Autogenous mosquitoes amass much greater stores of fat during larval life To induce yoke deposition in ovaries of anautogenous females researchers 1) transplatated corpora allata, 2) Transfused hemolymph,
3) Placement of eggs developed after beta- ecdysone into hemolymph of female A. aegypti, And, 4) Abdomen ligation
Environmental Factors Temporal, spatial and behavioral barriers due to location play a role in the distribution of antogenous vs anautogenous mosquitoes