[Oviposition and dispersion of Aedes aegypti in an urban environment]

It is generally accepted that female Aedes aegypti do not fly more than 50-100 m in their entire lifetime, yet the rapidity with which this species colonizes new areas, and the explosive nature of dengue and yellow fever epidemics appear to contradict this. Using molecular methods, we have confirmed that the Ae. aegypti females lay small numbers of eggs at many sites. The distribution of available sites implies that the female may fly a considerable distance to deposit her whole egg batch. We developed a method of monitor dispersal during oviposition by labelling the eggs of the mosquito with rubidium, a relatively rare, non-radioactive element. Eggs laid by females fed in the laboratory on blood containing rubidium were collected in the field with ovitraps and assayed by atomic emission spectroscopy. Our study revealed rapid dispersal over our entire study area, more than 800 m in diameter. We conclude that dispersal may be driven by the availability of oviposition sites. Marked eggs were collected for up to 7 days after feeding, suggesting that the gonotrophic cycle in the field is longer than generally assumed. This implies that calculations of longevity based on ovarian dissection and estimates of the duration of the gonotrophic cycle may need to be revised. Novel studies on sugar feeding and blood feeding are also mentioned.