D3177: Comparison of skip-oviposition behaviors in container Aedes mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)

Skip-oviposition, the spreading of eggs amongst different habitats, has been well documented for container inhabiting Aedes spp. mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). However, direct comparisons between species using an appropriate metric to capture the patterns of skip-oviposition have been lacking. In this study, we compared skip-oviposition behavior in three common container species: Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti L., Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse), and Aedes (Protomacleaya) triseriatus Say. To address the fundamental propensity to skip oviposit, we examined this behavior in cages with eight oviposition cups, all identical. We tested two nutrient levels: plain tap water (little to no nutrients), and an oak-leaf infusion. Using a dispersion index, we found that Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus spread their eggs widely, both in number of cups and index of dispersion, while Ae. triseriatus was less likely to spread their eggs (typically using only 2-3 containers). The two Stegomyia species responded similarly to nutrient levels, spreading their eggs more when cups had little to no nutrients. Our results have implications for the use of autodissemination strategies for control of these vectors of dengue, Zika, and LaCrosse viruses.