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. 2015 Aug;110(5):669-76.
doi: 10.1590/0074-02760140490. Epub 2015 Jul 7.

Influence of breeding site availability on the oviposition behaviour of Aedes aegypti

Filipe Vieira Santos de Abreu  1 , Maira Moreira Morais  2 , Sérvio Pontes Ribeiro  3 , Álvaro Eduardo Eiras  4
Affiliations

Influence of breeding site availability on the oviposition behaviour of Aedes aegypti

Filipe Vieira Santos de Abreu et al. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2015 Aug.

Abstract

Despite the importance of the mosquito Aedes aegypti in the transmission of arboviruses, such as yellow fever, Chikungunya fever and dengue fever, some aspects of their behaviour remain unknown. In the present study, the oviposition behaviour of Ae. aegypti females that were exposed to different densities of breeding sites (2, 4, 8 and 16) was evaluated in laboratory and semi-field conditions. The number of breeding sites that were used was proportional to the number available, but tended towards stabilisation. Females used four-six breeding sites on average, with a maximum of 11. A high percentage of eggs was observed in the water, along with the presence of a breeding site termed "favourite", which received at least 40% of the eggs. The results are discussed in ecological, evolutionary and epidemiological approaches.

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Figures

Fig. 1:
Fig. 1:. representation of the distribution of the different densities (2, 4, 8 and 16 breeding sites) and the positions of the breeding sites in the interior of the acrylic boxes. In the centre, position of the sugar solution.
Fig. 2:
Fig. 2:. diagram of the distribution of the ovitrap with and without water of each treatment/density of breeding sites.
Fig. 3:
Fig. 3:. box plot of the proportion of eggs on the water in different density of oviposition breeding sites. Different letters mean statistical difference (ANOVA p < 0.05).
Fig. 4:
Fig. 4:. box plot of the number of eggs laid on water and paddle in semi-field and laboratory conditions. Different letters mean statistical difference (ANOVA p < 0.05).
Fig. 5:
Fig. 5:. mean and standard deviation of breeding sites colonised on the basis of available ones. Different letters mean statistical difference (Kruskal-Wallis p < 0.05).
Fig. 6:
Fig. 6:. box plot of the percentage of eggs laid in the favourite breeding.
Fig. 7:
Fig. 7:. percentage of eggs laid on favourite breeding site in relation to the number of colonised breeding sites under laboratory and semi-field conditions.
Fig. 8:
Fig. 8:. percentage of eggs laid in the favourite breeding site in laboratory by Aedes aegypti female’s who had higher frequency of breeding site colonisation (A) and smaller frequency (B). Percentage of eggs laid in the favourite breeding site in semi-field by Ae. aegypti female’s who had higher frequency of breeding site colonisation (A) and smaller frequency (B).
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