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Does mosquito mass-rearing produce an inferior mosquito?
Dieudonné D Soma1,2,3, Hamidou Maïga4,5, Wadaka Mamai5,6
1Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé/Centre Muraz, BP 545, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. dieusoma@yahoo.fr.
Background:
The success of the sterile insect technique depends, among other things, on continuous releases of sexually competitive sterile males within the target area. Several factors (including high rearing density and physical manipulation, such as larvae and pupae separation) can influence the quality of males produced in mass-rearing facilities. The different steps in mass production in the laboratory may modify the behaviour of mosquitoes, directly or through loss of natural characters as a result of adaptation to lab rearing, and lead to the competitiveness of sterile male being reduced. In the present study, the objective was to evaluate the effect of mass-rearing conditions on sterile male sexual competitiveness in semi-field cages compared to routine small scale laboratory rearing methods.
Methods:
Anopheles arabiensis immature stages were reared both on a large scale using a rack and tray system developed by the FAO/IAEA (MRS), and on a small scale using standard laboratory rearing trays (SRS). Mosquito life history traits such as pupation rate, emergence rate, adult size as well as the effect of irradiation on adult longevity were evaluated. Moreover, 5-6 day old mosquitoes were released into field cages and left for two nights to mate and the mating competitiveness between sterile mass-reared males and fertile males reared on a small scale when competing for small scale reared virgin females was investigated. Resulting fertility in a treatment ratio of 1:1:1 (100 irradiated males: 100 non-irradiated males: 100 virgin females) was compared to control cages with 0:100:100 (non-irradiated control) and 100:0:100 (irradiated control).
Results:
No significant differences in life history parameters were observed between rearing methods. The competitiveness index of mass reared males (0.58) was similar to males reared on a small scale (0.59). A residual fertility rate of 20% was observed in the irradiated control (100:0:100), measured as the percentage of eggs collected from the cages which developed to adulthood. No significant difference was observed (t = 0.2896, df = 4, P = 0.7865) between the rearing treatments (MRS and SRS) in the fertility rate, a measure of mating competitiveness.
Conclusions:
The results showed that the FAO/IAEA mass-rearing process did not affect mosquito life history parameters or the mating competitiveness of males.
Insights
Mass-rearing conditions for sterile male mosquitoes did not impact their competitiveness in mating. This finding supports the effectiveness of large-scale production for the sterile insect technique in pest control.
Area of Science:
- Entomology
- Insect Pest Control
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- The sterile insect technique (SIT) relies on releasing sexually competitive sterile males.
- Mass-rearing conditions can potentially reduce the quality and competitiveness of sterile males.
- Understanding the impact of mass-rearing on male competitiveness is crucial for SIT success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of mass-rearing conditions on the sexual competitiveness of sterile male mosquitoes.
- To compare males reared under large-scale FAO/IAEA mass-rearing systems (MRS) with those from standard small-scale laboratory rearing (SRS).
Main Methods:
- Anopheles arabiensis immature stages were reared using MRS and SRS methods.
- Life history traits (pupation, emergence, adult size) and irradiation effects on longevity were assessed.
- Mating competitiveness was evaluated in semi-field cages by comparing sterile mass-reared males with fertile small-scale reared males.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found in life history parameters between MRS and SRS rearing methods.
- The competitiveness index for mass-reared males (0.58) was comparable to small-scale reared males (0.59).
- Fertility rates, a measure of mating competitiveness, showed no significant difference between the rearing treatments.
Conclusions:
- The FAO/IAEA mass-rearing process does not negatively affect mosquito life history parameters.
- Mass-rearing conditions do not compromise the mating competitiveness of sterile male Anopheles arabiensis.
- These findings validate the suitability of current mass-rearing protocols for SIT applications.
