Bottom-up regulation and competition of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae along an urbanization gradient in Puerto Rico: Effects on population performance and vector competence

沿沿着岸埃及伊蚊幼虫自下而上的调节与竞争 波多黎各城市化梯度：对人口表现和媒介能力的影响 埃及伊蚊是新出现的虫媒病毒的主要传播媒介， 黄热病、登革热、寨卡病毒和基孔肯雅热。物种种群动态与城市化有关， 人类密度，幼虫在人造栖息地发育并以人类为食。先前的研究 独立相关的城市化参数，碎屑输入，和幼虫竞争的某些方面的Ae。 埃及人生活史（例如，发育时间、生物量、繁殖力）和载体能力。然而，没有研究 已经确定了城市化如何影响幼虫栖息地中的这些生态相互作用， 对爱的影响埃及人在生命阶段、世代和病媒能力方面的表现， 使用了营养化学计量法。城市化的变化可以转化为碎屑的变化 幼虫栖息地的可用性和物种竞争沿着城市化的梯度， 影响Ae.埃及人感染登革热。本提案的第一个目标是确定 城市化对Ae.埃及幼虫自下而上的影响和竞争在波多黎各。的 第二和第三个目标是评估城市化相关的碎屑输入和伊蚊的影响。 种群生活史的世代竞争和媒介竞争。初步 数据表明，植物碎屑的生物量和组成有显着的影响。埃及伊蚊幼虫和 成年生物量此外，容器水氮（%N）显着增加与城市化，水 郊区集装箱中的碳氮比（C：N）明显较高，C：N呈现出显著的相关性 在Ae。埃及伊蚊幼虫生物量这一建议的总体假设是，城市化影响 Ae.的碎屑输入和竞争。埃及伊蚊幼虫的栖息地，这种变化将影响物种 性能（存活率、发育率和生物量）和登革热病媒能力。的组合 现场取样和实验室实验将被用来回答的目标。60个幼虫容器将 在波多黎各的圣胡安进行分层随机抽样， 方法分为三个层次（城市密度）：低、中、高。孵育容器将模拟幼虫 各层的条件与碎屑输入和种内种间的组合 竞争埃及伊蚊雌性将感染登革热血液餐，以确定病毒传播 和传输速率。营养分析（即，%C %N，C：N）将对容器水、碎屑， 幼虫和成虫。本研究结果对我国的农业生产具有一定的指导意义。 生态学、病媒控制战略、虫媒病毒疾病和公共卫生。

Bottom-up regulation and competition of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae along an urbanization gradient in Puerto Rico: Effects on population performance and vector competence Aedes aegypti, is the primary vector of emerging arboviruses causing serious human illnesses including yellow fever, dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Species population dynamics are related to urbanization and human density as larvae develop in man-made habitats and bloodfeed on humans. Previous studies have independently related urbanization parameters, detrital inputs, and larval competition to some aspects of Ae. aegypti life history (e.g., development time, biomass, fecundity) and vector competence. However, no study has determined how urbanization can influence these ecological interactions in larval habitats, the effect that this can have on Ae. aegypti performance across life stages, generations, and vector competence, nor have used a nutrient stoichiometry approach to do so. Urbanization changes could translate to changes in detritus availability and species competition in larval habitats along a gradient of urbanization which could in turn, influence the susceptibility of Ae. aegypti to dengue infection. The first objective of this proposal is to determine the influence of urbanization on Ae. aegypti larval bottom-up effects and competition in Puerto Rico. The second and third objectives are to assess the influence of urbanization related-detrital inputs and Aedes sp. competition on the species life history across generations and vector competence, respectively. Preliminary data suggests that plant detritus biomass and composition have a significant effect on Ae. aegypti larval and adult biomass. In addition, container water nitrogen (%N) significantly increases with urbanization, that water Carbon:Nitrogen (C:N) is significantly higher in suburban containers, and C:N exhibits a significant relationship with Ae. aegypti larval biomass. The overall hypothesis of this proposal is that urbanization influences detrital inputs and competition in Ae. aegypti larval habitats and that this variation will affect species performance (survival, development rate, and biomass) and dengue vector competence. A combination of field sampling and laboratory experiments will be used to answer the objectives. Sixty larval containers will be sampled across a gradient of urbanization in San Juan, Puerto Rico following a stratified random sampling method with three strata (urban density): low, medium, and high. Incubated containers will simulate larval conditions of each strata with combinations of detrital inputs and species intraspecific and interspecific competition. Aedes aegypti females will be infected with a dengue blood meal to determine virus dissemination and transmission rates. Nutrient analysis (i.e., %C %N, C:N) will be performed on container water, detritus, larvae, and adults from field and laboratory experiments. The results of this research have relevance to vector ecology, vector control strategies, arbovirus diseases, and public health.