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 Japan onicus(Theobald)是一种新引入的蚊子物种，出现在整个亚洲，从1998年在纽约/新泽西地区引入以来，在短短5年内就表现出显著的范围扩展。日本目前在加拿大15个州和部分地区肆虐。特别令人关注的是该物种对本地虫媒病毒的媒介能力的问题；它是实验室中西尼罗河病毒(WNV)的合格媒介，并可能作为通往美国东北部人类的桥梁媒介，那里的WNV现在是地方性的。然而，影响该物种在新地区定居能力的因素却知之甚少。业主立案法团。日本仓鼠使用各种各样的繁殖地点，包括城市、郊区和农村栖息地，包括西NV(城市地点)和Oc的主要当地媒介--库蚊居住的地点。Triseriatus，一种本地树洞繁殖者和LaCrosse脑炎(郊区和农村地点)的潜在媒介。该项目将使用传统和新的昆虫学监测工具来量化Oc.日本蚊子的引入影响了当地蚊子对繁殖地的利用和幼虫的存活，这两个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.日本按蚊是一种常见于林木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滋生地点；2)作为一种机会主义的入侵者，它已经迅速传播，Oc。日本鱼将在成虫(繁殖地点)和幼虫(食物)阶段与本地物种竞争，以及3)Oc。尽管有许多潜在的繁殖地，但日本鱼在城市地区的数量较少，因此CX。与Oc相比，Piciens具有竞争优势。城市地区的日本仓鼠。具体地说，我们将：1)确定和比较Oc的产卵和幼虫栖息地偏好。在纽约州南部城市、郊区和乡村景观中的日本小蜂和本地物种，2)比较了Oc.Endonicus、CX.Piniens和Oc.3)在实验室中进行这些物种之间的种间竞争实验，以衡量密度和食物资源对幼虫存活的影响。通过比较每个物种的人均增长率估计值，包括幼虫存活率、成虫大小和雌性羽化到产卵的时间，我们将能够预测不同栖息地的竞争结果。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活史参数。这些信息对于理解新的媒介如何在其暴露于其他循环病原体可能促进其向主要人畜共患病媒介过渡的环境中形成至关重要。