The Effect of Larval Density on Adult Longevity of a Mosquito, Aedes sierrensis: Epidemiological Consequences

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Abstract
A 3-year field study of larval populations of Aedes sierrensis, a common North American tree-hole mosquito, produced no evidence for density-dependent larval mortality, but revealed that pupal weight of females was inversely correlated with larval density. Sampling of a wild adult population indicated that, in general, larger adults lived longer than smaller ones. The interval between blood meals in nature was estimated as 8 days. The total expectation of infective life (for transmission of a nematode, Dirofilaria immitis) for females was estimated within the range of larval densities observed in nature. As these estimates may be maximal at intermediate population densities, reduction of larval density may result in an increase in the capacity of the adult population to transmit disease.