Temperature and photoperiod effects on dormancy status and life cycle parameters inAedes albopictusandAedes aegyptifrom subtropical Argentina

Aedes albopictus(Diptera: Culicidae) distribution is bounded to a subtropical area in Argentina, whileAedes aegypti(Diptera: Culicidae) covers both temperate and subtropical regions. We assessed thermal and photoperiod conditions on dormancy status, development time and mortality for these species from subtropical Argentina. Short days (8 light : 16 dark) significantly increased larval development time for both species, an effect previously linked to diapause incidence.Aedes albopictusshowed higher mortality thanAe. aegyptiat 16 degrees C under long day treatments (16 light : 8 dark), which could indicate a lower tolerance to a sudden temperature decrease during the summer season.Aedes albopictusshowed a slightly higher percentage of dormant eggs from females exposed to a short day, relative to previous research in Brazilian populations. Since we employed more hours of darkness, this could suggest a relationship between day-length and dormancy intensity. Interestingly, localAe. aegyptipresented dormancy similar toAe. albopictus, in accordance with temperate populations. The minimum dormancy inAe. albopictuswould not be sufficient to extend its bounded distribution. We believe that these findings represent a novel contribution to current knowledge about the ecophysiology ofAe. albopictusandAe.aegypti, two species with great epidemiological relevance in this subtropical region.

Automated summary

This study found differences in the responses of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the subtropical region of Argentina to environmental factors such as light and temperature, affecting their dormancy status, development time, and mortality rates. The extended larval development time under short days, higher mortality of Aedes albopictus at lower temperatures under long day conditions, and the higher percentage of dormant eggs in Aedes albopictus exposed to short days compared to Brazilian populations were key findings. The study suggests a relationship between day length and dormancy intensity, and highlights the importance of understanding the ecophysiology of these two mosquito species in the subtropical region.