Temperature changes effect growth of dengue mosquito

Phys.org: A significant field discovery analyzing how natural temperature fluctuations affect the growth rate of the dengue mosquito could lead to crucial control-and-prevention strategies, according to newly published research from Thomas Scott's Mosquito Research Laboratory and the Center for Vectorborne Diseases (CVEC), University of California, Davis.

The research, published March 8 in the PLOS ONE journal, shows that that "temperature effects on larval development time, larval survival and adult reproduction depend on the combination of mean temperature and magnitude of fluctuations," said lead author Lauren Carrington, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Scott lab and CVEC.

The scientists investigated how realistic fluctuations in temperature during the day influence the life-history traits and population dynamics of the dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti. "The effect of temperature on insect biology is well understood under constant temperature conditions, but less so under more natural, fluctuation conditions," said Carrington, who completed her three-year postdoctoral fellowship last December at UC Davis but continues research projects with the Scott lab. She is now based at the Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne, Australia.

The research, "Effects of Fluctuating Daily Temperatures at Critical Thermal Extremes on Aedes aegypti Life-History Traits," is expected to lead to greater accuracy of applications for mosquito surveillance and disease prevention. "An improved understanding of mosquito responses to natural temperature variation," Carrington said, "will enhance the effectiveness of vector control strategies, thereby reducing transmission of mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever." By using constant temperatures, scientists can under- or -over estimate values, she said....

The aedes aegypti mosquito, carrier of dengue fever--image from the CDC