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Dryad

Data from: Larval diet and temperature alter mosquito immunity and development: using body size and developmental traits to track carry-over effects on longevity

Data files

Dec 01, 2023 version files 28.97 KB

Abstract

Background: Estimating arbovirus transmission potential requires a mechanistic understanding of how environmental factors influence the expression of adult mosquito traits. While preimaginal exposure to environmental factors can have profound effects on adult traits, tracking and predicting these effects remains challenging.

Methods: Using Aedes albopictus and a structural equation modelling approach, we explored how larval nutrition and temperature jointly affect development rate and success, body size, and whether these metrics capture carry-over effects on adult longevity. Additionally, we investigated how larval diet and temperature affect the baseline expression of ten immune genes.

Results: We found that larval development success was primarily determined by diet, while temperature and diet both affected development rate, pupal wet weight, and wing length. Effects of diet on both morphometric measures and their relationships to adult longevity were asymmetrical, with wing length having a positive association and pupal weight a negative association. Larval diet indirectly affected adult longevity, and the time to pupation was negatively correlated with longevity. The expression of eight immune genes from Toll, JAK-STAT, and Imd pathways was enhanced in mosquitoes with higher nutrition.

Conclusions: Our results highlight deficiencies from using a single body size measure to capture carry-over effects on adult traits. Further studies of larval development rate under varying environmental conditions and its potential for tracking carry-over effects on vectorial capacity are warranted.