Ochlerotatus japonicus: Ecology of an Invasive Mosquito

描述（由申请人提供）：Ochlerotatus Escherichia（Theobald），一种新引入的蚊子物种，在整个亚洲出现，在短短5年内表现出显着的范围扩展;从1998年引入纽约/新泽西地区开始，Oc.目前，该组织已在加拿大的15个州和部分地区开展工作。特别值得关注的是该物种对当地虫媒病毒的媒介能力问题;它在实验室中是西尼罗河病毒（WNV）的主管媒介，并可能作为美国东北部人类的桥梁媒介，其中WNV现在是地方病。然而，影响该物种在新地区定居能力的因素却知之甚少。OC.库蚊利用各种各样的繁殖地点，包括城市，郊区和农村的栖息地，包括库蚊，西尼罗河病毒的主要当地载体（城市网站），和Oc。triseriatus，一种本土的树洞繁殖者，也是长曲棍球脑炎的潜在传播媒介（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的影响。蚊子的引入对当地蚊子对繁殖地的利用和幼虫的存活有影响，这些因素对一个物种在一个地区的成功有很大的贡献。这种竞争的结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。Oc是一种常见于树木栖息地的容器繁殖蚊子，因此树洞是郊区和农村地区的重要繁殖场所，2）作为一种迅速传播的机会主义入侵者，Oc。在成虫（为繁殖地）和幼虫（为食物）阶段，蝗虫将与本地物种竞争; 3）Oc。尽管有许多潜在的繁殖地，但在城市地区，Cx的丰度较低。pipiens相对于Oc具有竞争优势。在城市地区。具体来说，我们将：1）确定和比较产卵和幼虫栖息地的偏好。在城市，郊区，和农村景观在纽约州南部，2）比较卵丰度和幼虫人口密度的Oc。Cx. pipiens和Oc. 3）在实验室内进行种间竞争实验，研究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，其中包括幼虫存活率，成年人的大小，以及从女性出现产卵的时间的测量，我们将能够预测在各种栖息地的竞争结果。这项研究将是第一次检查经验上重要的生活史参数，这种新引进的蚊子物种的潜在竞争对手。这些信息对于了解一种新的病媒是如何在一个环境中建立起来的至关重要，在这个环境中，它暴露于其他循环病原体可能有助于它转变为主要的人畜共患病病媒。

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.