Ecology of large and small scale mosquito invasions

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目将追踪三次蚊子入侵的过程。其中之一，白纹伊蚊在北美的传播，始于20世纪80年代初从亚洲运往美国的旧轮胎。我们感兴趣的是它与常驻蚊子的相互作用，特别是与树洞蚊子三体伊蚊的竞争。另外两个入侵，白纹伊蚊和埃及伊蚊，在百慕大的早期殖民阶段。在广泛的学校儿童和他们的老师网络的帮助下，将通过跟踪美国100个地区的种群变化来进行种间激动效应的测试，他们将从捕蛋器中提取基质给我们进行物种鉴定。作为病媒监测项目的一部分，从百慕大捕卵器采集的底物将寄给我们，用PCR方法进行物种鉴定。将计算每个种群的变化率，并对每个物种的密度效应进行测试。这项研究将是同时进行的规模最大的以人口普查为基础的自然人口研究之一，它将试图把实验工作与人口水平的实际变化联系起来。一项物种间竞争的独立测试将通过在美国的8个地点和百慕大的8个地点取样成年雌性来完成，这些地点是根据每种物种的密度相对较高和较低而选择的。雌性会被衡量，期望竞争会导致雌性体型更小。在美国和百慕大，还将在野外条件下进行幼虫对雌性栖息地选择影响的试验。栖息地选择既可以减轻也可以加剧其他物种的相互作用，包括竞争。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project will track the course of three mosquito invasions. One of these, the spread of Aedes albopictus in North America, began with the shipment of used tires to the US from Asia in the early 1980's. We are interested in its interaction with resident mosquitoes, especially competition with the treehole mosquito Aedes triseriatus. Two other invasions, by Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti, are early in the colonization phase in Bermuda. Tests for interspecies agonistic effects will be conducted by tracking population change in 100 US localities concurrently, with the help of an extensive network of school children and their teachers, who will send substrates from egg traps to us for species identification. Substrates from egg trap sites in Bermuda, part of a vector surveillance program, will be sent to us for species identification, using PCR methodology. Rates of change for each population will be calculated, and tests for density effects by each species will be conducted. This study, which will be among the largest concurrent census-based studies of natural populations, will attempt to link experimental work with actual changes at the population level. An independent test for competition between species will be done by sampling female adults in eight locations in the US and eight in Bermuda, selected for their relatively high and low densities of each species. Females will be measured, with the expectation that competition will result in smaller females. Tests for the influence of larvae on female habitat choice will also be conducted under field conditions in the US and Bermuda. Habitat choice can be either a mitigating or an intensifying factor for other species interactions, including competition. All species involved in this study are involved in the transmission of important human diseases, including La Crosse virus, Dengue virus, and yellow fever. All have potential to transmit West Nile virus.