Cost-effective larval diet mixtures for mass rearing of Anopheles arabiensis Patton (Diptera: Culicidae)

Optimisation of laboratory-rearing parameters for Anopheles funestus larvae and adults

Anopheles funestus is one of the major malaria vectors in Africa. As with the other main vectors, insecticide resistance in this species threatens existing vector control strategies. Unfortunately, scientific investigations, which could improve understanding of this vector species or lead to the development of new control strategies, are currently limited by difficulties in laboratory rearing of the species. In an attempt to optimise laboratory-rearing conditions for An. funestus, the effect of an artificial blood-feeding system for adults, different larval diet doses, and a range of other rearing conditions on the life history traits of an existing colony were investigated. Firstly, fecundity and fertility in An. funestus adult females fed on either live guinea pigs or bovine blood supplied through an artificial membrane feeding system were assessed. Secondly, a life-table approach was used to assess the impact of larval food dose (mg/larvae), larval density (larvae/cm²), and the depth of water used for larval rearing on life history traits. Fecundity was significantly higher when females were blood-fed on live anaesthetised guinea pigs than when fed on defibrinated bovine blood. However, the fertility of these eggs did not differ significantly between the two feeding methods or blood meal sources. Mosquitoes fed on defibrinated bovine blood using the artificial membrane feeding system showed an increase in egg production when the blood-feeding frequency was increased, but this difference was not statistically significant. The quantity of larval food influenced both time-to-pupation and pupal production. Increasing the larval densities resulted in reduced both time-to-pupation and pupal productivity. An optimal larval density of 0.48 larvae/cm² was vital in preventing overcrowding. Increased water depth in the larval trays, was associated with significantly lower pupal production and reduced pupal weight. In conclusion, these results show that An. funestus can be reared using defibrinated bovine blood delivered via an artificial membrane feeding system. The quantity of larval food, optimal larval density, and depth of water used for larval rearing are critical factors influencing colony productivity. These findings can be used to improve current guidelines for rearing An. funestus under insectary conditions.

Optimization of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) Mass Rearing through Cost-Effective Larval Feeding

Simple Summary

The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is an important invasive species of medical concern, which could be successfully suppressed by including the sterile insect technique (SIT) in integrated mosquito management. This technique is based on the mass rearing of males, and their sterilization and release into the habitats to compete with wild males in the mating process. Our research compared the effectiveness of three larval diet recipes (IAEA-BY, BCWPRL, and MIX-14) in the rearing of Ae. albopictus males in order to evaluate the available economical feeding alternatives. The separation of male pupae was done by the sieving method, and reared adult males were tested for flight capacity and longevity. The application of BCWPRL resulted in a higher portion of sieved male pupae than females, but the obtained number of both pupae and adult males was lower and the development was slower than the other two diets. The adult mean survival time was the highest in males fed with MIX-14 and the lowest in males fed with IAEA-BY. Males fed by IAEA-BY also demonstrated higher initial mortality in the adult stage. The diets BCWPRL and MIX-14 are cheaper than IAEA-BY (2.28 and 5.30 times, respectively). The diet MIX-14 represents a candidate for replacing the effective but still expensive IAEA-BY diet.

Abstract

Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse, 1895) is an invasive important medical and veterinary pest species. The sterile insect technique (SIT) involves the mass rearing of males, and their sterilization and release into the habitat to compete with wild males. Our research objective was to compare the effectiveness of three larval diet recipes (IAEA-BY, BCWPRL, and MIX-14) in the laboratory rearing of Ae. albopictus males to evaluate the available economical feeding alternatives. The separation of sexes was done in the pupal stage by sieving. Reared males were tested for flight capacity and longevity. The application of the BCWPRL diet resulted in a higher portion of sieved male pupae than females, but the development of males was the slowest, and the number of obtained males (pupae and adults) was lower compared to the other two diets. The adult mean survival time was the highest in males fed with MIX-14 and the lowest in males fed with IAEA-BY. Males fed by IAEA-BY also demonstrated higher initial mortality in the adult stage. The diets BCWPRL and MIX-14 are economically more convenient than IAEA-BY (2.28 and 5.30 times cheaper, respectively). The cheapest diet, MIX-14, might represent a candidate for replacing the effective but still expensive IAEA-BY larval diet, providing lower costs of sterile male production.

Adult mosquito predation and potential impact on the sterile insect technique

The sterile insect technique is a promising environmentally friendly method for mosquito control. This technique involves releasing laboratory-produced sterile males into a target field site, and its effectiveness may be affected by the extent of adult mosquito predation. Sterile males undergo several treatments. Therefore, it is vital to understand which treatments are essential in minimizing risks to predation once released. The present study investigates the predation propensity of four mantis species (Phyllocrania paradoxa, Hymenopus coronatus, Blepharopsis mendica, Deroplatys desiccata) and two gecko species (Phelsuma standingi, P. laticauda) on adult Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus and Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes in a laboratory setting. First, any inherent predation preferences regarding mosquito species and sex were evaluated. Subsequently, the effects of chilling, marking, and irradiation, on predation rates were assessed. The selected predators effectively preyed on all mosquito species regardless of the treatment. Predation propensity varied over days for the same individuals and between predator individuals. Overall, there was no impact of laboratory treatments of sterile males on the relative risk of predation by the test predators, unless purposely exposed to double the required sterilizing irradiation dose. Further investigations on standardized predation trials may lead to additional quality control tools for irradiated mosquitoes.

The effect of cattle-administered ivermectin and fipronil on the mortality and fecundity of Anopheles arabiensis Patton

Background

Malaria control primarily depends on two vector control strategies: indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs). Both IRS and LLIN target indoor-biting mosquitoes. However, some of the most important malaria vectors have developed resistance against the chemical compounds used in IRS and LLINs. Insecticide-induced behavioural changes in vectors, such as increased outdoor feeding on cattle and other animals, also limit the effectiveness of these strategies. Novel vector control strategies must therefore be found to complement IRS and LLINs. A promising tool is the use of cattle-applied endectocides. Endectocides are broad-spectrum systemic drugs that are effective against a range of internal nematodes parasites and blood-feeding arthropods. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two endectocide drugs, injectable ivermectin and topical fipronil, on the survival and fecundity of zoophilic Anopheles arabiensis.

Methods

Laboratory-reared mosquitoes were allowed to feed on cattle treated with either injectable ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg), topical fipronil (1.0 mg/kg) or saline (control) on days 0, 1, 4, 7, 13, 21 and 25 post-treatment, and mortality and egg production were recorded daily.

Results

Compared to controls, the mortality of An. arabiensis increased by 3.52- and 2.43-fold with injectable ivermectin and topical fipronil, respectively. The overall fecundity of mosquitoes that fed on both ivermectin- and fipronil-treated cattle was significantly reduced by up to 90 and 60%, respectively, compared to the control group. The effects of both drugs attenuated over a period of 3 weeks. Injectable ivermectin was more effective than topical fipronil and increased mosquito mortality by a risk factor of 1.51 higher than fipronil. Similarly, both drugs significantly reduced the fecundity of An. arabiensis.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that injectable ivermectin and topical fipronil are able to suppress An. arabiensis density and could help to reduce outdoor malaria transmission. Data from the present study as well as from other similar studies suggest that current-generation endectocides have a limited duration of action and are expensive. However, new-generation, sustained-release formulations of ivermectin have a multi-week, high mortality impact on vector populations, thus holding promise of an effective reduction of outdoor malaria transmission.

Graphical abstract

Characterization of life-history parameters of an Anopheles funestus (Diptera: Culicidae) laboratory strain

The colonization of the African malaria vector Anopheles funestus has been hampered by inadequate knowledge of its mating and development under laboratory conditions. Life-tables are routinely used to provide baseline biological characteristics needed for colonization. This study characterized age-specific life-table attributes of an existing An. funestus laboratory strain to gain insight into factors that are critical for its colonization. To achieve this, the An. funestus laboratory strain was reared from eggs to adulthood under standard insectary conditions, monitoring and characterizing each developmental stage. The mean insemination rate of females was 74.8% with an average egg load of 67.1 eggs/female and a mean fertility of 86.7%. The mean developmental time from 1^st instar larvae (L1) to pupation was 16.4 days. The mean proportion of L1 that survived to pupation was 72.9%. On average, 78.8% of the pupae successfully eclosed as adults. The median longevity for adult males and females was 44 and 28 days, respectively. This work constitutes the first report on life-table characterization of an An. funestus strain. The larval developmental time was within the range reported for wild An. funestus while adult longevity was higher compared to survivorship observed in wild populations. These data demonstrate that the colonized An. funestus strain has potential to be re-colonized under standard insectary conditions. The study provides base-line information for further studies on identifying critical parameters for the maintenance of An. funestus under artificial conditions.

The Insect Pest Control Laboratory of the Joint FAO/IAEA Programme: Ten Years (2010-2020) of Research and Development, Achievements and Challenges in Support of the Sterile Insect Technique

The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre (formerly called Division) of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture was established in 1964 and its accompanying laboratories in 1961. One of its subprograms deals with insect pest control, and has the mandate to develop and implement the sterile insect technique (SIT) for selected key insect pests, with the goal of reducing the use of insecticides, reducing animal and crop losses, protecting the environment, facilitating international trade in agricultural commodities and improving human health. Since its inception, the Insect Pest Control Laboratory (IPCL) (formerly named Entomology Unit) has been implementing research in relation to the development of the SIT package for insect pests of crops, livestock and human health. This paper provides a review of research carried out between 2010 and 2020 at the IPCL. Research on plant pests has focused on the development of genetic sexing strains, characterizing and assessing the performance of these strains (e.g., Ceratitis capitata), elucidation of the taxonomic status of several members of the Bactrocera dorsalis and Anastrepha fraterculus complexes, the use of microbiota as probiotics, genomics, supplements to improve the performance of the reared insects, and the development of the SIT package for fruit fly species such as Bactrocera oleae and Drosophila suzukii. Research on livestock pests has focused on colony maintenance and establishment, tsetse symbionts and pathogens, sex separation, morphology, sterile male quality, radiation biology, mating behavior and transportation and release systems. Research with human disease vectors has focused on the development of genetic sexing strains (Anopheles arabiensis, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus), the development of a more cost-effective larvae and adult rearing system, assessing various aspects of radiation biology, characterizing symbionts and pathogens, studying mating behavior and the development of quality control procedures, and handling and release methods. During the review period, 13 coordinated research projects (CRPs) were completed and six are still being implemented. At the end of each CRP, the results were published in a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal. The review concludes with an overview of future challenges, such as the need to adhere to a phased conditional approach for the implementation of operational SIT programs, the need to make the SIT more cost effective, to respond with demand driven research to solve the problems faced by the operational SIT programs and the use of the SIT to address a multitude of exotic species that are being introduced, due to globalization, and established in areas where they could not survive before, due to climate change.

Development of an Alternative Low-Cost Larval Diet for Mass Rearing of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes

BACKGROUND

Aedes aegypti is a major vector of arboviruses that may be controlled on an area-wide basis, using novel approaches such as Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT). Larval diet is a critical factor to be considered in mass rearing of Aedes mosquitoes for SIT and IIT programs. Therefore, the current study is aimed at evaluating the effects of two novel diets developed from dry fish powder on the growth and development of immature stages and adult fitness-related characteristics of Ae. aegypti in Sri Lanka.

METHOD

Three batches of the first instar Ae. aegypti larva, each containing 250 larvae, were exposed to three different larval diets as standard dry fish powder (D1), dry fish powder meal and brewer's yeast (D2), and International Atomic Energy Agency- (IAEA-) recommended diet (D3), separately. Morphometric and developmental parameters of the 4th instar larvae, pupae, and adult mosquitoes reared under different dietary treatments were measured. The entire experimental setup was replicated thrice. A General Linear Model (GLM) in the form of two-way ANOVA was used for the statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Significant diet-based variations were observed in the head length, head width, thoracic length, thoracic width, abdominal length, abdominal width, and total length (F 2,87 > 4.811; P < 0.05) of Ae. aegypti larvae. The highest pupation success and the larval size were observed from the larvae fed the D2 diet, while the lowest was reported from D1. All adult morphometric parameters of adult male and female Ae. aegypti mosquitoes also denoted significant dietary variations, reporting the best-sized adults from the D2 diet (F 2,87 > 3.54; P < 0.05). Further, significantly higher fecundity and male longevity were also shown by the adult Ae. aegypti (F 2,6 > 7.897; P < 0.01) mosquitoes reared under diet D2.

CONCLUSION

Based on all the growth and developmental parameters, the D2 diet tends to perform similar to the IAEA-recommended diet in mass rearing of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, while being more inexpensive. Therefore, larval diet D2 could be suggested as the ideal diet for mass rearing of Ae. aegypti for IIT and SIT-based vector control in Sri Lanka.

Toward implementation of combined incompatible and sterile insect techniques for mosquito control: Optimized chilling conditions for handling Aedes albopictus male adults prior to release

Combined incompatible and sterile insect technique (IIT-SIT) has been considered to be an effective and safe approach to control mosquito populations. Immobilization of male adults by chilling is a crucial process required for the packing, transportation and release of the mosquitoes during the implementation of IIT-SIT for mosquito control. In this study, effects of chilling on the Aedes albopictus males with triple Wolbachia infections (HC line), a powerful weapon to fight against the wild type Ae. albopictus population via IIT-SIT, were evaluated under both laboratory and field conditions. Irradiated HC (IHC) males were exposed to 1, 5 and 10°C for 1, 2, 3, 6 and 24 h. The survival rate of the post-chilled IHC males was then monitored. Longevity of post-chilled IHC males was compared to non-chilled males under laboratory and semi-field conditions. Mating competitiveness of IHC/HC males after exposure to 5 or 10°C for 0, 3 and 24 h was then evaluated. Effects of compaction and transportation under chilled conditions on the survival rate of IHC males were also monitored. The optimal chilling conditions for handling IHC males were temperatures between 5 and 10°C for a duration of less than 3 h with no negative impacts on survival rate, longevity and mating competitiveness when compared to non-chilled males. However, the overall quality of post-chilled IHC/HC males decreased when exposed to low temperatures for 24 h. Reduced survival was observed when IHC males were stored at 5°C under a compaction height of 8 cm. Transportation with chilling temperatures fluctuating from 8 to 12°C has no negative impact on the survival of IHC males. This study identified the optimal chilling temperature and duration for the handling and transportation of Ae. albopictus IHC male adults without any detrimental effect on their survival, longevity and mating competitiveness. Further studies are required to develop drone release systems specific for chilled mosquitoes to improve release efficiency, as well as to compare the population suppression efficiency between release of post-chilled and non-chilled males in the field.

Mosquito mass rearing: who's eating the eggs?

For the sterile insect technique, and other related biological control methods where large numbers of the target mosquito are reared artificially, production efficiency is key for the economic viability of the technique. Rearing success begins with high quality eggs. Excess eggs are often stockpiled and stored for longer periods of time. Any pests that prey on these eggs are detrimental to stockpiles and need to be avoided. Psocids of the genus Liposcelis (Psocoptera, Liposcelididae) are common scavengers consuming various types of organic material that are distributed globally and thrive in warm damp environments, making insectaries ideal habitats. In this short report, we investigated the species that has been found scavenging stored mosquito eggs in our insectary and identified it to be Liposcelis bostrychophila Badonnel, 1931. Additional observations were made to determine whether these predators indeed feed on mosquito eggs, and to suggest simple, effective ways of avoiding infestation.

Effects of larval diets and temperature regimes on life history traits, energy reserves and temperature tolerance of male Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): optimizing rearing techniques for the sterile insect programmes

Background

Producing high quality sterile males is vital in Aedes aegypti rear-and-release birth control strategies. Larval diets, rearing temperatures, and their interactions determine the accumulation rates of essential nutrients in larvae, but these factors have been understudied in relation to mass-rearing techniques for producing eminent males.

Methods

We compared the effects of two larval diets, a cereal-legume-based diet (Khan’s diet) and a standard larval diet developed in the FAO/IAEA Insect Pest Control Laboratory (IAEA 2 diet). Diets were tested at selected temperatures for both larval and male adult life history traits, adult extreme temperature tolerance, and mating capacity relative to energy reserves of reared male adult Ae. aegypti.

Results

Khan’s diet resulted in shorter immature development time at each test temperature (except for 25 °C) than an IAEA 2 diet. Larvae reared at 28 °C and 32 °C with Khan’s diet demonstrated low pupation rates (c.80%). We accounted for these phenomena as secondary sex ratio manipulation, because a higher proportion of male adults emerged at 28 °C and 32 °C than that for the IAEA 2 diet. In general, the pupal development time shortened as temperature increased, resulting in higher teneral energy reserves in male mosquitoes. High energy reserves allowed male mosquitoes reared with Khan’s diet to have higher adult longevity (5–6 days longer when sugar-fed and 2–3 days longer when water-fed) and tolerance of heat stress than those fed on the IAEA 2 diet. The IAEA 2 diet produced larger male mosquitoes than Khan’s diet did: mosquitoes fed on Khan’s diet were 1.03–1.05 times smaller than those fed on the IAEA 2 diet at 28 °C and 32 °C. No evidence indicated reduced mating capacity for small mosquitoes fed on Khan’s diet.

Conclusions

Larvae reared at 28 °C and 32 °C with Khan’s diet were characterized by shorter immature development time compared with those fed on the IAEA 2 diet. Adult mosquitoes produced from that larval rearing condition exhibited a significant male bias, long lifespan, and better endurance against extreme temperatures relative to energy reserves. Thus, the larval diet at rearing temperature of 28 °C and 32 °C optimized rearing techniques for the sterile insect programmes. However, mating competitiveness and flight performance of adult males require further investigation.

Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae powder as a larval diet ingredient for mass-rearing Aedes mosquitoes

The mass production of mosquitoes is becoming more wide-spread due to the increased application of the sterile insect technique (SIT) and other genetic control programmes. Due to the variable availability and high cost of the bovine liver powder (BLP) constituent of many current larval diets, there is an urgent demand for new ingredients in order to support sustainable and efficient mosquito production while reducing rearing cost, without affecting the quality of the insects produced. Two black soldier fly (BSF) powder-based diet formulations (50% tuna meal, 35% BSF powder, 15% brewer's yeast and 50% tuna meal + 50% BSF powder) were tested for their suitability to support the development of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in mass-rearing conditions. Overall, the results indicate that the use of the BSF powder did not negatively impact the development and quality of the produced insects in terms of time to pupation, adult production and male flight ability. Furthermore, depending on the species and diet formulations, there were improvements in some parameters such as female body size, egg production, egg hatch rate and male longevity. BSF powder is a valuable ingredient that can effectively replace costly BLP for the mass production of high quality Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. Both diet formulations can be used for Ae. aegypti showing high plasticity to nutrition sources. However, for Ae. albopictus we recommend the combination including brewer's yeast.

Assessment of the developmental success of Anopheles coluzzii larvae under different nutrient regimes: effects of diet quality, food amount and larval density

Background

In a context of increasing resistance of both vectors toward main classes of insecticides used in public health and parasites toward anti-malarial drugs, development of new and complementary molecules or control approaches is fundamental to achieve the objective of controlling or even eliminating malaria. Concerning vector control, the sterile insect technique and other genetic control approaches are among promising complementary tools in an integrated management strategy for malaria control. These approaches rely not only on a good understanding of vector biology (especially during larval stages), but also on the availability of adequate supplies and protocols for efficient mosquito rearing. The aim of this study was to assess the factors impacting the life history of Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes at the larval stage, in the context of genetic and sterile insect approaches to control malaria vectors.

Methods

The effect of different larval diets and larval rearing densities on the development of An. coluzzii were evaluated in the laboratory. Emergence rate (ER), pre-imaginal developmental time (DT) and adult wing length (WL) were measured under different food regimes. Four diets were tested among which three were provided by the Insect Pest Control Laboratory (IPCL) of the FAO/IAEA Joint division.

Results

Data showed significant differences in the quality of the different diets and suggested a negative density dependence in all three life history parameters measured under tested rearing conditions. ER and WL increased with food availability, but decreased with increasing larval density. Conversely DT was shortened with increasing food availability but increased with larval density. These data demonstrates intraspecific larval competition modulated by food amount and space availability. Of the four diets tested, the one made of a mix of tuna meal, bovine liver powder, brewer’s yeast, squid liver powder and vitamin mix (diet 2) yielded the best results as it produced a good balance between ER, DT and WL. Food availability for optimal development (highest survival at shortest time) was in the range of 180–400 µg/larvae/day for the three diets provided by the IPCL.

Conclusion

There is an interaction between diet type, diet concentration and larval density. Best results in terms of optimal larvae development parameters happen when moderately high values of those three variables are observed.

Optimization of Mass-Rearing Methods for Anopheles arabiensis Larval Stages: Effects of Rearing Water Temperature and Larval Density on Mosquito Life-History Traits

Insect mass-rearing is an essential requirement for the sterile insect technique. Production at a large scale requires the development of standardized rearing procedures to produce good quality males able to compete with wild males to mate with wild females. Three sets of experiments (using trays placed on the table, the whole tray-rack system, and climate-controlled chambers) have been conducted aiming to determine the optimal water temperature and number of eggs to aliquot into each larval rearing tray to achieve the highest production of pupae. No difference was found in time to pupation, sex ratio, or male body size as a result of altering larval density. However, higher larval densities resulted in decreased emergence rate and female body size. A constant water temperature of 22°C delayed hatching and did not allow Anopheles arabiensis to complete larval development. Hatching eggs in water at 22°C and then increasing water temperature to 27°C resulted in decreased pupae production compared to eggs hatched and larvae maintained at a water temperature of 27°C throughout. Water temperature and larval density affected the production parameters of An. arabiensis mosquitoes, which has implications for mass release programs. We conclude that 4,000 eggs per 4 liter and a water temperature of 27°C were the optimal conditions for mass-rearing this mosquito species which yielded 105,000 pupae/larval rearing unit. These results are valuable information in the development of standard operation procedures for the efficient large-scale rearing of An. arabiensis mosquitoes.