Mark–Release–Recapture Trial with Aedes albopictus (Diptera, Culicidae) Irradiated Males: Population Parameters and Climatic Factors
Mark–Release–Recapture Trial with Aedes albopictus (Diptera, Culicidae) Irradiated Males: Population Parameters and Climatic Factors
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Vector controlAmaro FIF, Soares P, Velo E, et al, Insects, 15. 2024.
Aedes albopictus mosquitoes spread arboviruses like dengue, Zika, or chikungunya. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) can be used as a prevention and control tool against Ae. albopictus populations. Mark–release–recapture (MRR) trials are fundamental to estimate the size of the wild population in target areas and to determine the dispersal capacity and survival of sterile males in open field conditions. Environmental conditions can affect the MRR trial’s results; thus, the influence of climatic factors on the first MRR trial with Ae. albopictus marked sterile males conducted in Portugal was analyzed. In October 2022, for three consecutive weeks at two different release points, 84,000 sterile males were released over 50 ha of the study area, in the municipality of Faro, Southern Portugal, and mosquitoes were recaptured by human landing collection (HLC) one, two, four, and six days after release. Distance travelled, daily survival, and life expectancy in the field were estimated for the released sterile males and the influence of climatic factors was analyzed. Despite no statistically significant association being found with humidity, temperature, and precipitation, it is crucial to plan MRRs, considering weather conditions for a more efficient application of the SIT in an integrated vector management program.