Potential Effects of Climate Change on Ecological Interaction Outcomes between Two Disease-Vector Mosquitoes: A Mesocosm Experimental Study

• Published in: Journal of medical entomology Vol. 52; no. 5; pp. 866 - 872
• Main Authors: Leonel, B. F., Koroiva, R., Hamada, N., Ferreira-Keppler, R. L., Roque, F. O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Entomological Society of America 01-09-2015; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Aedes - growth & development; Aedes - physiology; Aedes aegypti; air temperature; Animals; Arboviruses - physiology; carbon dioxide enrichment; Climate Change; climatic factors; Culex - growth & development; Culex - physiology; Culex quinquefasciatus; experimental design; global warming; Insect Vectors - growth & development; Insect Vectors - physiology; interspecific competition; intraspecific competition; Larva - growth & development; Larva - physiology; larvae; larval development; Longevity; POPULATION AND COMMUNITY ECOLOGY; pupation; Species Specificity; interspecific competition; intraspecific competition; global warming; Aedes aegypti; Culex quinquefasciatus
• ISSN: 0022-2585; 1938-2928
• DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv068

The objective of this study was to experimentally assess the effects of different climate change scenarios on the outcomes of interactions between Aedes aegypti (L.) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae. The experimental design maintained a constant density of specimens while the proportion of the species in different experimental climate change scenarios varied. Our results indicate that survival of the two species was not affected, but larval development and pupation times decreased under elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and high air temperature. In climate change scenarios with both species together, the survival of Ae. aegypti increased and its larval development time decreased with increasing density of Cx. quinquefasciatus. This may be attributed to the effects of intraspecific competition being more significant than interspecific competition in Ae. aegypti. Our study also reveals that climatic changes may affect the patterns of interactions between Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti. Alterations in climatic conditions changed the response of context-dependent competition, indicating the importance of studies on how ecological interactions will be affected by projected future climatic change.