title: Larval competition extends developmental time and decreases adult size of wMelPop Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti.
abstract: The intracellular endosymbiont Wolbachia has been artificially transinfected into the dengue vector Aedes aegypti, where it is being investigated as a potential dengue biological control agent. Invasion of Wolbachia in natural populations depends upon the fitness of Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti relative to uninfected competitors. Although Wolbachia infections impose fitness costs on the adult host, effects at the immature stages are less clear, particularly in competitive situations. We look for effects of two Wolbachia infections, wMel and wMelPop, on intra-strain and inter-strain larval competition in Ae. aegypti. Development of Wolbachia-infected larvae is delayed in mixed cohorts with uninfected larvae under crowded-rearing conditions. Slow developing wMelPop-infected larvae have reduced adult size compared with uninfected larvae, and larvae with the wMel infection are somewhat larger and have greater viability relative to uninfected larvae when in mixed cohorts. Implications for successful invasion by these Wolbachia infections under field conditions are considered.
authors.affiliation: Bio21 Institute and Department of Genetics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia paross@student.unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Perran A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: Bio21 Institute and Department of Genetics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Nancy M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Endersby
authors.affiliation: Bio21 Institute and Department of Genetics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Heng Lin
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Yeap
authors.affiliation: Bio21 Institute and Department of Genetics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Ary A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D005260:Female; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents
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