HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ponlawat, A. Articles by Harrington, L. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ponlawat, A. Articles by Harrington, L. C.

Factors Associated with Male Mating Success of the Dengue Vector Mosquito, Aedes aegypti

We studied the effects of male Aedes aegypti age, body size, and density on mating success under laboratory and field conditions. Older males under field conditions transferred the greatest number of sperm to females (1,152 by 1-day-old males to 1,892 sperm by 10-day-old males). Larger males inseminated females with more sperm than smaller ones. Male age, female body size, and density also influenced male mating success. Larger females successfully mated with males more often than smaller females, especially with older males (> 25 days old). Female insemination rates in small high-density laboratory cages (0.009 m³) were artificially high (81.6–98.7%) compared with rates (65.4–84.6%) in large low-density field cages (9 m³). This is the first study to systematically evaluate the effect of Ae. aegypti male body size and age on sperm transfer to females and the first one to evaluate the mating performance of males in a field setting.

Received March 19, 2008. Accepted for publication October 17, 2008.

Acknowledgments: The authors thank Chaweewan Nomekhuntod, Sutida Asuntia, health volunteers, and villagers from Nong Suang Pattana village as well as MAJ. Jittawadee Murphy and Jetsumon Sattabongkot, Department of Entomology, USAMC-AFRIMS. We appreciate the expert statistical advice of Francoise Vermeylen.

Financial support: This work was funded in part by Cornell Department of Entomology Rogoff and Griswold Endowments awarded to AP and by a grant to the Regents of the University of California from the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health through the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative awarded to LCH. Field work in Thailand was funded by the Einaudi Center, CIIFAD/ IPCALS, and Mellon Research Grant awarded to AP.

^* Address correspondence to Laura C. Harrington, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 3138 Comstock Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853. E-mail: lch27{at}cornell.edu

Authors’ addresses: Alongkot Ponlawat, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 3132 Comstock Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, Tel: 607-255-7040, Fax: 607-255-0939, E-mail: ap285{at}cornell.edu. Laura C. Harrington, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 3138 Comstock Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, Tel: 607-255-4475, Fax: 607-255-0939, E-mail: lch27{at}cornell.edu.