title: Direct and indirect effects of animal detritus on growth, survival, and mass of invasive container mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae).
abstract: Compared with plant detritus, animal detritus yields higher growth rates, survival, adult mass, and population growth of container-dwelling mosquitoes. It is unclear whether the benefit from animal detritus to larvae results from greater microorganism growth, direct ingestion of animal detritus by larvae, or some other mechanism. We tested alternative mechanisms by which animal detritus may benefit the invasive container-dwelling mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae). In the laboratory, larvae were reared under three conditions with access to 1) detritus, but where microorganisms in the water column were reduced through periodic flushing; 2) water column microorganisms, but larvae had no direct access to detritus; or 3) both water column microorganisms and detritus. Access treatments were conducted for three masses of animal detritus: 0.005, 0.010, and 0.020 g. Water column bacterial productivity (measured via incorporation of [3H] leucine) decreased significantly with flushing and with larval presence. Removing microorganisms through flushing significantly reduced mass of adult mosquitoes (both sexes), and it significantly prolonged developmental times of females compared with treatments where water column microorganisms or microorganisms and detritus were available. Survival to adulthood was greatest when larvae had access to both water column microorganisms and 0.020 g of detritus, but it declined when only water column microorganisms were available or when 0.005 g of detritus was used. These findings indicate both direct (as a food source) and indirect (assisting with decomposition of detritus) roles of microorganisms in producing the benefit of animal detritus to container mosquito larvae.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA. dyee@ucalgary.ca
authors: Donald A
authors: DA
authors: Yee
authors: Banugopan
authors: B
authors: Kesavaraju
authors: Steven A
authors: SA
authors: Juliano
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D007814:Larva; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011156:Population Density; D012727:Sex Characteristics
references: Appl Environ Microbiol. 1999 Jun;65(6):2661-73
references: 10347058
references: J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 2000 Sep;16(3):175-88
references: 11081644
references: J Med Entomol. 2001 Mar;38(2):130-4
references: 11296813
references: J Med Entomol. 2001 Sep;38(5):711-9
references: 11580044
references: Emerg Infect Dis. 2001 Sep-Oct;7(5):807-11
references: 11747692
references: Microb Ecol. 2003 Jan;45(1):11-9
references: 12447584
references: Science. 1992 Jul 24;257(5069):526-7
references: 1321985
references: Annu Rev Entomol. 1992;37:349-76
references: 1347208
references: J Med Entomol. 2000 Jan;37(1):40-52
references: 15218906
references: J Med Entomol. 2000 May;37(3):364-72
references: 15535579
references: J Med Entomol. 2005 Jan;42(1):57-62
references: 15691009
references: J Med Entomol. 2006 Jul;43(4):677-88
references: 16892624
references: J Med Entomol. 2007 Mar;44(2):215-21
references: 17427689
references: Ecology. 2005 Dec;86(12):3289-95
references: 17450188
references: Freshw Biol. 2006 Mar;51(3):448-459
references: 17476312
references: Ecol Lett. 2005 May;8(5):558-74
references: 17637849
references: Science. 1991 Jul 12;253(5016):189-91
references: 1853204
references: Ecology. 2005 Dec;86(12):3279-3288
references: 19096729
references: Biol Invasions. 2002 Sep 1;4(3):283-297
references: 19777120
references: Ann Entomol Soc Am. 2004 Jul 1;97(4):720-728
references: 23197877
references: Oecologia. 1977 Jun;30(2):111-127
references: 28309427
references: Oecologia. 1982 Apr;53(1):1-6
references: 28310595
references: Science. 1987 May 29;236(4805):1114-6
references: 3576225
references: J Med Entomol. 1995 Jul;32(4):554-62
references: 7650719
references: Med Vet Entomol. 1997 Oct;11(4):305-9
references: 9430106