Wing morphometric variability in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) from different urban built environments

Area of Science:

• Vector-borne disease ecology
• Urban entomology
• Population genetics

Background:

• Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transmit dengue, Zika, and other arboviruses globally.
• Effective control of mosquito-borne diseases relies on understanding mosquito population dynamics.
• Urbanization influences mosquito adaptation and distribution, necessitating studies on its ecological impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of varying urbanization levels on Aedes aegypti populations.
• To analyze how urbanization modulates population structure using wing geometric morphometrics.
• To identify potential microevolutionary changes in response to urban environments.

Main Methods:

• Mosquito specimens collected from conserved, intermediate, and urbanized areas in São Paulo, Brazil.
• Wing shape analyzed using geometric morphometrics, Canonical Variate Analysis, and Mahalanobis distance.
• Population structure assessed via cross-validated reclassification and neighbor-joining tree construction.

Main Results:

• Canonical Variate Analysis revealed clear segregation patterns in Aedes aegypti populations.
• High reclassification scores indicated significant wing shape dissimilarity among populations.
• Neighbor-joining tree analysis demonstrated distinct population structuring, particularly in intermediate urban areas.

Conclusions:

• Urbanization significantly influences microevolutionary processes in Aedes aegypti.
• Distinct population structuring patterns were identified, linked to urbanization levels and geography.
• These findings highlight the epidemiological importance of urbanization in shaping vector populations.