The Interspecific Competition Between Larvae of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> and Major African Malaria Vectors in a Semi-Field System in Tanzania
Interspecific competition between mosquito larvae may affects adult vectorial capacity, potentially reducing disease transmission. It also influences population dynamics, and cannibalistic and predatory behaviors. However, knowledge of interspecific competition between <i>Ae. aegypti</i>...
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2024-12-01
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| author | Sperancia Coelestine Lushasi Yohana A. Mwalugelo Johnson K. Swai Arnold S. Mmbando Letus L. Muyaga Nhandi K. Nyolobi Anitha Mutashobya Augustino T. Mmbaga Hamisi J. Kunambi Simoni Twaha Mwema Felix Mwema Dickson W. Lwetoijera |
| author_facet | Sperancia Coelestine Lushasi Yohana A. Mwalugelo Johnson K. Swai Arnold S. Mmbando Letus L. Muyaga Nhandi K. Nyolobi Anitha Mutashobya Augustino T. Mmbaga Hamisi J. Kunambi Simoni Twaha Mwema Felix Mwema Dickson W. Lwetoijera |
| author_sort | Sperancia Coelestine Lushasi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Interspecific competition between mosquito larvae may affects adult vectorial capacity, potentially reducing disease transmission. It also influences population dynamics, and cannibalistic and predatory behaviors. However, knowledge of interspecific competition between <i>Ae. aegypti</i> and <i>Anopheles</i> species is limited. The study examined interspecific competition between <i>Ae. aegypti</i> larvae and either <i>An.</i><i>arabiensis</i>, <i>An. gambiae</i>, or <i>An. funestus</i> on individual fitness in semi-field settings. The experiments involved density combinations of 100:100, 200:0, and 0:200 (<i>Ae. aegypti</i>: <i>Anopheles</i>), reared with and without food, in small habitats (8.5 cm height × 15 cm diameter) with 0.5 liters of water and large habitats (15 cm height × 35 cm diameter) with 1 liter of water. The first group received Tetramin<sup>®</sup> fish food (0.02 g), while the second group was unfed to assess cannibalism and predation. While interspecific competition affected both genera, <i>Anopheles</i> species experienced greater effects, with reduced survival and delayed development, compared to <i>Ae. aegypti</i>. The mean wing lengths of all species were significantly small in small habitats with a mixed population (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The presence of food reduced cannibalism and predation compared to its absence. These interactions have implications for diseases transmission dynamics and can serve as biological indicators to signal the impacts of vector control interventions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0b6f32a14fbf46e7af77b12b9fc8844a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj-art-0b6f32a14fbf46e7af77b12b9fc8844a2025-01-24T13:35:40ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502024-12-011613410.3390/insects16010034The Interspecific Competition Between Larvae of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> and Major African Malaria Vectors in a Semi-Field System in TanzaniaSperancia Coelestine Lushasi0Yohana A. Mwalugelo1Johnson K. Swai2Arnold S. Mmbando3Letus L. Muyaga4Nhandi K. Nyolobi5Anitha Mutashobya6Augustino T. Mmbaga7Hamisi J. Kunambi8Simoni Twaha9Mwema Felix Mwema10Dickson W. Lwetoijera11Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Morogoro P.O. Box 53, TanzaniaEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Morogoro P.O. Box 53, TanzaniaEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Morogoro P.O. Box 53, TanzaniaEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Morogoro P.O. Box 53, TanzaniaEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Morogoro P.O. Box 53, TanzaniaEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Morogoro P.O. Box 53, TanzaniaEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Morogoro P.O. Box 53, TanzaniaEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Morogoro P.O. Box 53, TanzaniaEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Morogoro P.O. Box 53, TanzaniaEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Morogoro P.O. Box 53, TanzaniaSchool of Materials, Energy, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha P.O. Box 447, TanzaniaEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Morogoro P.O. Box 53, TanzaniaInterspecific competition between mosquito larvae may affects adult vectorial capacity, potentially reducing disease transmission. It also influences population dynamics, and cannibalistic and predatory behaviors. However, knowledge of interspecific competition between <i>Ae. aegypti</i> and <i>Anopheles</i> species is limited. The study examined interspecific competition between <i>Ae. aegypti</i> larvae and either <i>An.</i><i>arabiensis</i>, <i>An. gambiae</i>, or <i>An. funestus</i> on individual fitness in semi-field settings. The experiments involved density combinations of 100:100, 200:0, and 0:200 (<i>Ae. aegypti</i>: <i>Anopheles</i>), reared with and without food, in small habitats (8.5 cm height × 15 cm diameter) with 0.5 liters of water and large habitats (15 cm height × 35 cm diameter) with 1 liter of water. The first group received Tetramin<sup>®</sup> fish food (0.02 g), while the second group was unfed to assess cannibalism and predation. While interspecific competition affected both genera, <i>Anopheles</i> species experienced greater effects, with reduced survival and delayed development, compared to <i>Ae. aegypti</i>. The mean wing lengths of all species were significantly small in small habitats with a mixed population (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The presence of food reduced cannibalism and predation compared to its absence. These interactions have implications for diseases transmission dynamics and can serve as biological indicators to signal the impacts of vector control interventions.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/1/34interspecific competitionintraspecific competition<i>Aedes aegypti</i><i>An. arabiensis</i><i>An. gambiae</i><i>An. funestus</i> |
| spellingShingle | Sperancia Coelestine Lushasi Yohana A. Mwalugelo Johnson K. Swai Arnold S. Mmbando Letus L. Muyaga Nhandi K. Nyolobi Anitha Mutashobya Augustino T. Mmbaga Hamisi J. Kunambi Simoni Twaha Mwema Felix Mwema Dickson W. Lwetoijera The Interspecific Competition Between Larvae of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> and Major African Malaria Vectors in a Semi-Field System in Tanzania Insects interspecific competition intraspecific competition <i>Aedes aegypti</i> <i>An. arabiensis</i> <i>An. gambiae</i> <i>An. funestus</i> |
| title | The Interspecific Competition Between Larvae of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> and Major African Malaria Vectors in a Semi-Field System in Tanzania |
| title_full | The Interspecific Competition Between Larvae of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> and Major African Malaria Vectors in a Semi-Field System in Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | The Interspecific Competition Between Larvae of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> and Major African Malaria Vectors in a Semi-Field System in Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Interspecific Competition Between Larvae of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> and Major African Malaria Vectors in a Semi-Field System in Tanzania |
| title_short | The Interspecific Competition Between Larvae of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> and Major African Malaria Vectors in a Semi-Field System in Tanzania |
| title_sort | interspecific competition between larvae of i aedes aegypti i and major african malaria vectors in a semi field system in tanzania |
| topic | interspecific competition intraspecific competition <i>Aedes aegypti</i> <i>An. arabiensis</i> <i>An. gambiae</i> <i>An. funestus</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/1/34 |
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