title: Environmental and genetic factors determine whether the mosquito Aedes aegypti lays eggs without a blood meal.
abstract: Some mosquito strains or species are able to lay eggs without taking a blood meal, a trait named autogeny. This may allow populations to persist through times or places where vertebrate hosts are scarce. Autogenous egg production is highly dependent on the environment in some species, but the ideal conditions for its expression in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are unknown. We found that 3.2% of females in a population of Ae. aegypti from Kenya were autogenous. Autogeny was strongly influenced by temperature, with many more eggs laid at 28°C compared with 22°C. Good nutrition in larval stages and feeding on higher concentrations of sugar solution during the adult stage both result in more autogenous eggs being produced. The trait also has a genetic basis, as not all Ae. aegypti genotypes can lay autogenously. We conclude that Ae. aegypti requires a favorable environment and a suitable genotype to be able to lay eggs without a blood meal.
authors: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom cristina.ariani@gmail.com.
authors: Cristina V
authors: CV
authors: Ariani
authors: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: Sophia C L
authors: SC
authors: Smith
authors: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: Jewelna
authors: J
authors: Osei-Poku
authors: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Short
authors: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: Punita
authors: P
authors: Juneja
authors: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: Francis M
authors: FM
authors: Jiggins
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D010058:Oviposition; D010063:Ovum; D013696:Temperature
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