Ochlerotatus japonicus: Ecology of an Invasive Mosquito

Ochlerotatus japonicus：入侵蚊子的生态学

• 批准号: 6812360
• 负责人: RICHARD C FALCO
• 金额: $ 8.31万
• 依托单位: FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-09-30 至 2006-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6812360
• 关键词: Culex; West Nile virus; animal ecology; animal population study; arthropod borne communicable disease; disease vectors; natural selections; wild animals; zoonosis

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Ochlerotatus japonicus (Theobald), a newly introduced mosquito species that occurs throughout Asia, has exhibited a remarkable range extension in just 5 years; from its introduction in the New York/New Jersey area in 1998, Oc. japonicus is now in 15 states and parts of Canada. Of special concern is the question of this species' vectorial capacity for local arboviruses; it is a competent vector of West Nile virus (WNV) in the lab and may serve as a bridge vector to humans in the northeastern US, where WNV is now endemic. However, factors affecting this species' ability to colonize new areas are poorly understood. Oc. japonicus uses a wide variety of breeding sites that encompass urban, suburban, and rural habitats, including those inhabited by Culex pipiens, the primary local vector of WNV (urban sites), and Oc. triseriatus, a native tree-hole breeder and potential vector of LaCrosse encephalitis (suburban & rural sites). This project will use traditional and novel entomological surveillance tools to quantify the effect that Oc. japonicus' introduction has on local mosquitoes' use of breeding sites and larval survival, factors that contribute significantly to a species' success in an area. Consequences of this competition will likely have broad impacts on the population dynamics of these mosquitoes as well as on the ecology of arboviruses they transmit. Our hypotheses are: 1) Oc. japonicus is a container-breeding mosquito common in wooded habitats, therefore tree holes are important breeding sites in suburban and rural areas, 2) As an opportunistic invader that has spread rapidly, Oc. japonicus will compete with native species in both adult (for breeding sites) and larval (for food) stages, and 3) Oc. japonicus is less abundant in urban areas despite numerous potential breeding sites, therefore Cx. pipiens has a competitive advantage over Oc. japonicus in urban areas. Specifically, we will: 1) Determine and compare oviposition and larval habitat preferences for Oc. japonicus and native species in urban, suburban, and rural landscapes in southern NY state, 2) Compare egg abundance and larval population densities of Oc. japonicus, Cx. pipiens, and Oc. triseriatus to determine breeding success and larval survival in each habitat type, and 3) Conduct interspecific competition experiments among these species in the lab to measure effects of density and food resources on larval survival. By comparing per capita growth rate estimates for each species, which include measurements of larval survivorship, adult size, and time from female emergence to oviposition, we will be able to predict competition outcomes in a variety of habitats. This study will be the first to examine empirically important life history parameters of this newly introduced mosquito species with respect to potential competitors. Such information is critical to understanding how a new vector becomes established in a landscape where its exposure to other circulating pathogens may facilitate its transition to a primary zoonotie vector.

描述（由申请人提供）： Ochlerotatus japonicus (Theobald) 是一种新引入的蚊子物种，分布于整个亚洲，在短短 5 年内表现出显着的分布范围扩展；自 1998 年 10 月在纽约/新泽西地区推出以来。日本刺参现已遍布加拿大 15 个州和部分地区。特别值得关注的是该物种对当地虫媒病毒的载体能力问题；它是实验室中西尼罗河病毒 (WNV) 的有效载体，并且可能作为美国东北部人类的桥梁载体，目前西尼罗河病毒在该地区流行。然而，人们对影响该物种在新地区定居能力的因素知之甚少。奥克。日本刺参使用多种繁殖地点，涵盖城市、郊区和农村栖息地，包括西尼罗河病毒（WNV）的主要当地媒介（城市地点）和淡色库蚊（Culex pipiens）栖息的地点。 triseriatus，本地树洞繁殖者和长曲棍球脑炎的潜在媒介（郊区和农村地区）。该项目将使用传统和新颖的昆虫学监测工具来量化 Oc.日本刺蚊的引入对当地蚊子对繁殖地的利用和幼虫的存活产生影响，这些因素对一个物种在一个地区的成功做出了重大贡献。这种竞争的后果可能会对这些蚊子的种群动态以及它们传播的虫媒病毒的生态产生广泛的影响。我们的假设是：1）Oc。刺蚊是一种常见于树木繁茂的栖息地的容器繁殖蚊子，因此树洞是郊区和农村地区重要的繁殖场所，2）作为一种传播迅速的机会主义入侵者，Oc.日本刺参将在成虫（繁殖地）和幼虫（食物）阶段与本地物种竞争，3）Oc。尽管有许多潜在的繁殖地点，但日本刺参在城市地区的数量较少，因此 Cx。 pipiens 比 Oc 具有竞争优势。城市地区的日本刺参。具体来说，我们将： 1) 确定并比较 Oc. 的产卵和幼虫栖息地偏好。纽约州南部城市、郊区和乡村景观中的日本刺参和本地物种，2) 比较 Oc. 的卵丰度和幼虫种群密度。日本刺参，Cx。 pipiens，和 Oc。 triseriatus 以确定每种栖息地类型中的繁殖成功率和幼虫存活率，以及 3) 在实验室中进行这些物种之间的种间竞争实验，以测量密度和食物资源对幼虫存活率的影响。通过比较每个物种的人均增长率估计值，包括幼虫存活率、成虫体型以及从雌性羽化到产卵的时间的测量，我们将能够预测各种栖息地的竞争结果。这项研究将首次检验这种新引入的蚊子物种相对于潜在竞争对手的重要生命史参数。这些信息对于了解新载体如何在环境中建立至关重要，在该环境中，接触其他循环病原体可能会促进其向主要人畜共患病载体的转变。