Infertility and fecundity loss of wolbachia-infected aedes aegypti hatched from quiescent eggs is expected to alter invasion dynamics

Abstract

The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia shows viral blocking in its mosquito host, leading to its use in arboviral disease control. Releases with Wolbachia strains wMel and wAlbB infecting Aedes aegypti have taken place in several countries. Mosquito egg survival is a key factor influencing population persistence and this trait is also important when eggs are stored prior to releases. We therefore tested the viability of mosquitoes derived from Wolba-chia wMel and wAlbB-infected as well as uninfected eggs after long-term storage under diur-nal temperature cycles of 11–19˚C and 22–30˚C. Eggs stored at 11–19˚C had higher hatch proportions than those stored at 22–30˚C. Adult Wolbachia density dec..