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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Quantifying Fitness Costs in Transgenic Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
Published on: September 15, 2023
Caffeine effect on mortality and oviposition in successive generations of Aedes aegypti
Alessandra Theodoro Laranja1, Antonio José Manzato, Hermione Elly Melara de Campos Bicudo
1Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brasil.
Objective:
Previous experiments showed that caffeine blocks the development of Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicidae) in the larval stage, consequently inhibiting the production of adults. This study aimed at obtaining data suggestive of caffeine resistance by these mosquitoes.
Methods:
Experiments were carried out in successive generations to assess adult production from eggs laid in previous generation and oviposition rate in every generation using 200 and 500 microg/mL caffeine. Tap water was used as control. Experiments were conducted in the city of São José do Rio Preto, Southeastern Brazil between 2002 and 2005. Statistical tests consisted of exploratory data analysis and smoothing algorithms.
Results:
Increasing reduction in productivity of adults occurred among generations at both caffeine concentrations but the differences were only significant at 200microg/mL caffeine. As for the oviposition rate, there was a decrease in the mean number of eggs per female over generations at both caffeine concentrations.
Conclusions:
There was no evidence of caffeine resistance over generations. The study results corroborate caffeine as an alternative as an important Ae. Aegypti control agent to avoid resistance.
