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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #349922
Research Project: Biting Arthropod Surveillance and Control

Location: Mosquito and Fly Research

Title: Developing Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) as a tool Mosquito Control Districts can use for integrated Aedes aegypti control

Author
item Aldridge, Robert
item BOARDMAN, LEIGH - University Of Florida
item KLINE, JEDIDIAH - Orise Fellow
item COBURN, JORDAN - Department Of Defense
item Kline, Daniel - Dan
item Gibson, Seth
item HAHN, DANIEL - University Of Florida
item Linthicum, Kenneth - Ken

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2018
Publication Date: 2/15/2018
Citation: Aldridge, R.L., Boardman, L., Kline, J., Coburn, J., Kline, D.L., Britch, S.C., Hahn, D.A., Linthicum, K. 2018. Developing Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) as a tool Mosquito Control Districts can use for integrated Aedes aegypti control. Meeting Abstract. pg. 1.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Uncontrolled populations of Aedes aegypti pose a significant public health-risk to humans as a vector of dangerous arboviruses in most of the tropical and much of the temperate regions of the world. Aedes aegypti are difficult to control because they exploit abundant artificial containers around homes for larval development that are difficult to reach with larvicides and adults often rest in cryptic places difficult to reach with adulticide sprays. Mosquito control personnel are additionally challenged since typically they have neither the resources nor permissions to treat residential yards and businesses to attempt to treat these kinds of habitats. Conventional control measures like adulticide sprays or larvicides can suppress Ae. aegypti, but populations are difficult to eliminate and often rebound quickly after treatment, and difficulties are compounded by resistance to common pesticide formulations in many Ae. aegypti populations. New tools are clearly needed for integrated mosquito management of Ae. aegypti. We describe the sterile insect technique (SIT) that we are developing as a method to control Ae. aegypti by partnering with two prominent Florida mosquito control districts (Anastasia and Lee County MCDs) and the FAO/IAEA Insect Pest Control Subprogramme. Working with local strains from Anastasia (St. Augustine) and Lee County (Fort Myers), we developed dose-response relationships that produce sterile male mosquitoes and then measured mating performance. Then, we performed mark-release-recapture experiments in potential field sites to assess wild population densities, dispersal performance of sterile males, and estimated the number of sterile mosquitoes needed for field releases to suppress wild populations. Successful completion of these project goals will provide the foundation for mosquito control districts to use Ae. aegypti SIT as part of their integrated mosquito management programs for these dangerous and elusive vector mosquitoes.