Immature development time and survivorship of the dengue vectors Aedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus and the invasive Aedes albopictus in Ghana

Immature development time and survivorship of the dengue vectors Aedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus and the invasive Aedes albopictus in Ghana | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Immature development time and survivorship of the dengue vectors Aedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus and the invasive Aedes albopictus in Ghana Yaw Akuamoah-Boateng, Maxwell G. Machani, Emmanuel Nana Boadu, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8078954/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Invasion of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes in the West African sub-region has coincided with multiple outbreaks of dengue fever. Unfortunately, little is known about the biology and ecology of the invasive Aedes albopictus and native vectors Aedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus . This study investigated the immature development time and survivorship of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Aedes vittatus mosquitoes in Ghana. Larval life-tables were conducted under semi-field conditions. Immature development time, pupation rate, and survivorship were recorded daily. The development time of Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus and Ae. vitattus immatures was 8.8±0.93, 9.7±1.3 and 10.6±2.0 days respectively. The pupation rate ( Ae. aegypti: 88.7±6.5 , Ae. albopictus: 88±9.6 , Ae. vittatus : 82.7±5.5) did not differ significantly. Survivorship of Ae. aegypti (0.83±0.06), Ae. albopictus (0.80±0.05) and Ae. vittatus (0.74±0.04) was not statistically different. In combined microcosms, where all three species were raised together, survivorship of Ae. vittatus was lower (0.76±0.18) compared Ae. aegypti (0.84±0.21) and Ae. albopictus (0.82±0.18). This study shows that the invasive dengue vector Ae. albopictus exhibits developmental time and survival rates close to those of the native Ae. aegypti , indicating successful adaptation to local environments. These findings suggest that Ae. albopictus could establish, proliferate, and potentially displace native dengue vectors in Ghana. Health sciences/Diseases Biological sciences/Ecology Earth and environmental sciences/Ecology Biological sciences/Microbiology Biological sciences/Zoology Aedes albopictus Aedes aegypti Aedes vittatus larval survivorship development time interspecific competition Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction Arboviral diseases dengue fever (DF) and chikungunya (CHIKV) are emerging and gaining a foothold in West Africa, with a significant threat of recurrent outbreaks in both urban and rural areas 1 – 4 . While Aedes aegypti and Aedes vittatus have long been documented in Ghana 5 – 7 , the recent invasion of Aedes albopictus 5 , 8 has coincided with the emergence and surge in DF outbreaks and CHIKV exposure in Ghana 9 – 11 , suggesting a possible shift in arboviral transmission dynamics. Despite the public health implications of these vectors, there remains a critical knowledge gap regarding the biology and ecology of Aedes mosquitoes in Ghana. These vectors may have different life history patterns, affecting which species dominates transmission in different areas, and how outbreaks may spread or be sustained. Spatial coexistence of Aedes mosquitoes post-invasion have been documented in various parts of the world 12 , 13 . The apparent coexistence of these vector species however, could be a transient situation, followed by a reduction 14 or displacement 15 of the native species. Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus for example may compete because they exploit the same ecological niches, including larval habitats and blood sources 16 , 17 . This competition can lead one species to replace the other in a given environment. Indeed, several studies around the world have shown that the introduction of Ae. albopictus often shifts the range and reduces the abundance of native species 18 – 21 . Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus species have been observed using similar resources in parts of Africa 18 , 22 , suggesting that such competitive interactions may already be occurring. Although studies have not fully identified the mechanisms behind this competition, evidence suggests it occurs during the pre-imaginal stages 16 , 17 . Information on the larval life history traits of invasive and native Aedes species in Ghana remains poorly documented. Characterizing life-history traits of Aedes mosquitoes, including larval development time, pupation, emergence rates, and survivorship is important for understanding the vector biology, which is necessary for the design and implementation of effective vector control strategies. This study aimed to fill this gap by determining these traits for the native Aedes aegypti and Aedes vittatus , as well as the invasive Aedes albopictus in Ghana. Results Development time of immature stages of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Aedes Vittatus The mean time for larval development from first instar (L1) to second instar (L2) was shortest in Aedes vittatus (2.40 ± 0.30 days) compared to Ae. aegypti (3.50 ± 0.49 days) and Ae. albopictus (3.68 ± 0.40 days) (ANOVA, F 2,12 = 12.69, p = 0.001; Table 1 ). Similarly, Ae. vittatus reached the third instar (L3) in 3.90 ± 0.40 days, almost one day faster than Ae. aegypti (4.80 ± 0.51 days) and Ae. albopictus (4.60 ± 0.50 days) (ANOVA, F₂,₁₂= 5.17, p = 0.024; Table 1 ). The mean larval development time from first instar (L1) to fourth instar (L4) was 7.20 ± 0.84 days for Ae. aegypti , 7.90 ± 1.10 days for Ae. albopictus whereas Ae. vittatus was 8.30 ± 1.00 days. The mean larval development time from L1-L4 among the three species were not statistically significant (ANOVA, F₂,₁₂ = 1.894, p = 0.193; Table 1 ). Table 1 Immature development time of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Aedes vittatus Aedes species Larval instar development time (days) L1-L2 L1-L3 L1-L4 Mean ± SE Mean ± SE Mean ± SE Ae. aegypti 3.5 ± 0.49 a 4.8 ± 0.51 a 7.2 ± 0.84 a Ae. albopictus 3.68 ± 0.4 a 4.6 ± 0.5 a 7.9 ± 1.0 a Ae. vitattus 2.4 ± 0.3 b 3.9 ± 0.4 b 8.3 ± 1.0 a Values are means ± standard errors. The superscript capital letters following the numerical values indicate the results of multiple comparison tests; values with the same letter were not statistically significant at P < 0.05 and those with different letters were statistically significant at P < 0.05. Pupation and emergence times of Aedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus and Aedes albopictus Aedes aegypti reached pupal stage 8.8 ± 0.93 days after hatching as L1 while Ae. albopictus and Ae. vittatus reached pupal stage 9.7 ± 1.3 and 10.6 ± 2.0 days respectively. The pupation times of the three species did not differ significantly (ANOVA, F 2,12 =1.744, p = 0.216; Table 2 ). The pupation rates were 88% for both Ae. Aegypti , Ae. albopictus , and 82% for Ae. vittatus . No statistically significant difference was observed in the pupation rates among the species (ANOVA, F₂,₁₂= 0.986, p = 0.401). Table 2 Comparison of larval-life trait parameters of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Aedes vittatus in species only microcosm Aedes species Pupation time (days) 1 Pupation rate (%) 2 Mean emergence time of males (days) 3 Mean emergence time of females (days) 4 Emergence rate (%) 5 Ae. aegypti 8.8 ± 0.93 a 88.7 ± 6.5 a 9.9 ± 1.4 a 11.1 ± 1.7 a 93.3 ± 4.7 a Ae. albopictus 9.7 ± 1.3 a 88 ± 9.6 a 10.1 ± 1.1 a 11.8 ± 1.6 a 91.4 ± 7.2 a Ae. vitattus 10.6 ± 2.0 a 82.7 ± 5.5 a 11.5 ± 1.6 a 13.1 ± 2.3 a 89.8 ± 8.0 a Values are means ± standard deviations. The superscript capital letters following the numerical values indicate the results of multiple comparison tests; values with the same letter were not statistically significant at P < 0.05 and those with different letters were statistically significant at P < 0.05.¹Duration of L1 larvae developing to pupae.²Percentage of larvae developing to pupae. ³Duration of L1 larvae to develop to males. ⁴Duration of L1 to develop into females. ⁵Percentage of pupae developing to adults. In terms of adult emergence, Ae. aegypti had a slightly higher emergence rate (93%) than Ae. albopictus (91%) and Ae. vittatus (89%), though this difference was not statistically significant (ANOVA, F₂,₁₂ = 0.33, p = 0.725; Table 2 ). The emergence time for male and female Ae. aegypti was 9.9 ± 1.4 days and 11.1 ± 1.7 days respectively while Ae. albopictus was 10.1 ± 1.1 days and 11.8 ± 1.6 days. The emergence time for male and female for Ae. vittatus was 11.5 ± 1.6 days and 13.1 ± 2.3 days. There was no significant difference in the emergence time for males (ANOVA, F 2,12 =1.958, p = 0.184; Table 2 ) or females (ANOVA, F 2,12 =1.616, p = 0.239; Table 2 ). The proportion of males emerging was higher ( Ae. aegypti 52.02% (95% CI: 42.95–61.10), Ae. albopictus 52.33% (95% CI: 40.43–64.23), and Ae. vittatus 55.87% (95% CI: 47.29–68.62), compared to the proportion of females: Ae. aegypti 47.98% (95% CI: 38.90–57.05), Ae. albopictus 47.67% (95% CI: 35.77–59.57), and Ae. vittatus 44.13% (95% CI: 31.38–52.71) (Table 3 ). Table 3 The average number of male and female adults emerging for each species breed separately Aedes species Sample size Number emerged Male i Mean (%) ± SD * Female ii Mean (%) ± SD * Sex ratio iii Female : Male Ae. aegypti 150 124 52.02 ± 7.3 a 47.98. ± 7.3 a 1:1.08 a Ae.albopictus 150 120 52.33 ± 9.6 a 47.67 ± 9.6 a 1:1.1 a Ae. vitattus 150 111 55.87 ± 10.3 a 44.13 ± 10.3 a 1:1.3 a ⁱProportion of males that emerged. ⁱⁱProportion of females that emerged. ⁱⁱⁱSex ratio of females to males.*Values indicate mean and the standard deviation. The same superscript letters in the last row indicate no significant difference. Emergence times of Aedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus and Aedes albopictus in combined microcosm In the combined microcosm, where all three species were raised together, female emergence time of Ae. aegypti was the shortest (9.63 ± 0.53 days) whereas Ae. albopictus females took the longest time to emerge (10.99 ± 0.65 days). The female emergence time of Ae. vittatus was 9.88 ± 0.63 days. Male Ae. vittatus took a shorter time to emerge (8.64 ± 0.49 days) compared to Ae. aegypti males (9.27 ± 0.29 days) and Ae. albopictus males, which took the longest time to emerge 9.38 ± 0.53 days (Table 4 ). Table 4 Comparison of larval-life trait parameters in combined microcosm of all three Aedes species Aedes species Sample size Number emerged Mean development time of males (days) a Mean development time of females (days) b Number of males emerging Mean(%) ± SD c Number of females emerging Mean (%) ± SD d Ae. aegypti 50 42 9.27 ± 0.29 a 9.63 ± 0.53 a 62.05 ± 14.15 a 37.94 ± 14.15 a Ae.albopictus 50 41 9.38 ± 0.53 a 10.99 ± 0.65 a 61.98 ± 18.66 a 38.02 ± 18.66 a Ae. vitattus 50 38 8.64 ± 0.49 a 9.88 ± 0.63 a 54.93 ± 20.68 a 45.07 ± 20.68 a Values indicate mean and the standard deviation. a Duration of L1 larvae to develop to males. b Duration of L1 to develop into females. c Proportion of males that emerged. d Proportion of females that emerged. Survivorship among Aedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus , and Aedes albopictus The proportion of first-instar Ae. aegypti that survived to adults (0.83 ± 0.06) was higher compared to Ae. albopictus (0.80 ± 0.05) and Ae. vittatus (0.74 ± 0.04). The difference observed was, however, not statistically different (ANOVA, F( 2,12 ) = 3.59, p = 0.059). Aedes vittatus showed a longer survival time of 20 days, with a mean survival length of 11.26 ± 1.67 days compared to Aedes albopictus that survived for 17 days, with a mean survival length of 10.03 ± 1.35 days and Aedes aegypti which showed a shorter survival time of 15 days, with a mean survival length of 9.23 ± 0.97 days (Fig. 1 ). The immature mortality rate was highest in the Ae. vittatus (26%, 95% CI: 19–33%) followed by Ae. albopictus (20%, 95% CI: 13.6–26.4%) and Ae. aegypti (17.33%, 95% CI: 11.3–23.3% ). In the combined microcosm, where all three species were raised together, the proportion of first-instar Ae. vittatus that survived to adults in the combined microcosm (0.76 ± 0.18) was lower compared Ae. aegypti (0.84 ± 0.21) and Ae. albopictus (0.82 ± 0.18). Discussion Understanding the ecology and biology of Aedes mosquitoes is important in designing and implementing effective control strategies for Aedes mosquitoes. Larval developmental times and immature survival rates are of particular importance, as they affect the Aedes mosquito density and vectorial capacity, which is closely linked to arboviral disease transmission 23 – 26 . In this study, the invasive dengue vector Ae. Albopictus showed comparable development time and survival rate with the native dengue vector Ae. Aegypti. When the vectors were raised together, interspecific interactions reduced adult emergence time in dengue vectors Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus and Ae. vittatus species . This study observed that the larval instar development time of the invasive Ae. albopictus and the native Ae. aegypti were shorter compared to Ae. vittatus 27 , 28 . The slower development for Ae. vittatus could be an adaptive trade-off, enhancing its survival in the urban setting. The observed shorter larval development times in Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti compared to Ae. vittatus may have important effects on vector populations and transmission dynamics. Rapid development can confer a competitive advantage in resource-limited or transient habitats, facilitating invasion success and establishment 29 , 30 . Longer larval instar development time could expose the larval instars to desiccation and predation, inversely affecting vector density and vectorial capacity. Similar studies on the larval life history of Aedes mosquitoes have observed short periods larval instar development times 30 – 33 . Similar to the findings of Giatropoulos and colleagues 34 , larval instar developmental time of Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus and Ae. vittatus when they competed with each other (combined microcosm) was a day shorter compared with single species development (each species only microcosm). In mosquito vectors, competition for food and space during pre-imaginal stages influences a multitude of fitness-related life history traits 35 . For instance, in interspecific competition, coexistence equilibrium such as differential resource use and spatial or temporal variations in habitat conditions has been noted to allow competing species to develop at a regular or faster pace 34 . Intraspecific larval competition in contrast has been shown to cause prolonged larval development and reduced larval survival 34 , 36 . The fact that Ae. albopictus, Ae. aegypti and Ae. vittatus can develop faster in mixed-species environments (combined microcosm) suggests reduced competitive pressure due to possible resource partitioning or habitat segregation. Faster developmental times could mean dengue vectors may reach adulthood within short periods, resulting in rapid population turnover and higher vector densities. Communities may face long transmission cycles and higher exposure risks, especially in settings where these species overlap. Survivorship of the Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti was high and characterized by shorter larval survival duration, high pupation rates and adult emergence compared to the Aedes vitattus colonies. The high survival rates of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti immatures may enable rapid population turnover in resource-limited or transient habitats. In contrast, Ae. vittatus showed longer larval survival durations, suggesting a slower developmental strategy that may favor persistence in more stable environments. These contrasting life-history strategies have important implications for arboviral transmission dynamics as short survival times can rapidly lead to large vector populations capable of dengue transmission within short periods whereas extended survival can produce similarly competent vectors but at a slower population turnover rate. The high adult emergence rate of Ae. albopictus observed underscores its potential to quickly establish and populate in areas they invade, enabling effective dengue fever transmission. Successful establishment of Aedes albopictus in Ghana could represent a significant shift in arboviral transmission dynamics. The invasive vector Aedes albopictus coexisting with native vectors could mean arboviral disease transmission no longer rely on a single dominant vector. Instead, multiple efficient vectors may now coexist, increasing the overall Aedes population capable of sustained arboviral disease transmission. Conclusions In this study, the invasive dengue vector Ae. albopictus showed developmental time and survival rates close to those of the native Ae. aegypti , suggesting successful adaptation to local environments. When the dengue vectors were raised together, interspecific interactions reduced adult emergence times. This emphasize that Ae. albopictus could survive and proliferate and even replace the native dengue vectors in Ghana just like it has in some African countries. Methods Sources of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Aedes vittatus mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus larvae were collected from breeding habitats in the port city of Takoradi, Ghana (4.5400° N, 1.4400° W) where this invasive vector has recently been found breeding in high densities 8 . Aedes vittatus larvae were collected from breeding habitats near the Tema port (5.6698° N, 0.0200° W) (Fig. 2 ). The Takoradi and Tema seaports receives shipment from all over the world, including vehicles and car tyres. The collected samples were transported to the insectary at the University of Ghana Medical School, Korlebu, Accra where the larvae were raised into adults under standard conditions (26 ± 2°C; 70% ± 5% relative humidity with a 12h :12 h light/dark photoperiod). Larvae were fed on ground fish flakes daily. Adults were fed with 10% sugar solution. Adult females were blood-fed and first filial generation (F1) eggs obtained washed into larval bowls containing rainwater. Larval life table experiments of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Aedes vittatus. The larval life-table experiments were conducted in cut car tyres placed in an outdoor semi-natural setting. We selected car tyres because a previous study showed that car tyres were the most ideal for Aedes larval breeding in the study area 30 . The experimental design involved setting up a microcosm with each of the three-aedine species and a fourth one with all three species in cut car-tyres. Each car tyre was approximately 56cm in length and 15cm in height. There were five (5) replicates for each species including a combined set up with all three species. For each of the 3-aedine species experiment, thirty (30) 2-hour-old larvae were introduced into a car tyre containing 3–4 litres of rainwater and covered with a muslin net. For the fourth experimental setup, ten (10) 2-hour-old larvae of each species were introduced into a car tyre containing 3–4 L of rainwater and covered with a muslin net. Each replicate was placed under trees in different parts of the campus of the University of Ghana Medical School in Korle-bu, Accra, Ghana. Each day, alive and dead larvae in each experimental replicate was counted, and their stage recorded. Water levels were checked daily and replenished as needed. Pupae collected from each replicate were held in pre-labelled individual paper cups with water of a depth of 25 ml for adult emergence. The paper cups containing one pupa per cup were covered with muslin netting and observed daily for adult emergence, pupal mortality, adult mosquitoes that emerged, and sex of emerged adults. The emerged adults were morphologically identified using keys provided by Huang 37 . Data management and analysis Larval development time was recorded in days as the duration from the first-instar larval stage to the pupal stage. The pupation rate was calculated as the sum of the total number of pupae per the sum of the total number of first-instar larvae. The emergence rate was calculated as the sum of the number of adults that emerged per the total number of pupae. Survivorship was defined as the proportion of first-instar larvae surviving to adults. Mean emergence time was defined as the average duration in days for first-instar larvae to develop into adult. Kaplan–Meier survival test was used in the testing for differences in larval survivorship among the three Aedes species. One-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey HSD test was used to determine the differences in larval development time, pupation rate and emergence rate amongst the species. The level of significance was set at 0.05 for all tests. Statistical analysis were performed in STATA/IC 14.1 software package. Declarations Acknowledgement We sincerely appreciate the residents of the communities that served as study sites for their support during our study. Our sincere gratitude goes to all the staff of the Takoradi port and Tema port for their support and assistance. Author information Authors and Affiliations Centre for Vector-Borne Disease Research, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana Yaw Akuamoah-Boateng, Emmanuel Nana Boadu, Sebastian Kwo Egyin Mensah, Nana Aba Sertorwu Eyeson, Anisa Abdulai and Yaw Asare Afrane. Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya Maxwell G. Machani Contributions YAA conceived, designed and supervised the study. YAB, ENB and SKEM were responsible for the study data collection. YAB, MGM, NASE and AA contributed to the analysis of the data. YAB, MGM and YAA drafted the manuscript. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript. Corresponding author Correspondence to Yaw Asare Afrane ( [email protected] ) Funder information This study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (RO3 AI186018, and D43 TW 011513). The funding agency had no involvement in the study's design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or manuscript preparation. Data availability All datasets generated during this study are available on request. Ethical declarations Not applicable Consent to publish Not applicable Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests. References WHO. Dengue Fever - Burkina Faso , (2017). Dieng, I. et al. Analysis of a Dengue Virus Outbreak in Rosso, Senegal 2021. Trop Med Infect Dis 7 (2022). https://doi.org:10.3390/tropicalmed7120420 Fourié, T. et al. Emergence of dengue virus serotype 2 in Mauritania and molecular characterization of its circulation in West Africa. 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Acta Tropica 119 , 38-43 (2011). https://doi.org:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2011.04.004 Delatte, H., Gimonneau, G., Triboire, A. & Fontenille, D. Influence of Temperature on Immature Development, Survival, Longevity, Fecundity, and Gonotrophic Cycles of Aedes albopictus, Vector of Chikungunya and Dengue in the Indian Ocean. Journal of Medical Entomology 46 , 33-41 (2009). https://doi.org:10.1603/033.046.0105 Giatropoulos, A., Papachristos, D., Michaelakis, A., Kapranas, A. & Emmanouel, N. Laboratory study on larval competition between two related mosquito species: Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus and Aedes (Stegomyia) cretinus. Acta Tropica 230 , 106389 (2022). Tsurim, I., Silberbush, A., Ovadia, O., Blaustein, L. & Margalith, Y. Inter-and intra-specific density-dependent effects on life history and development strategies of larval mosquitoes. PloS one 8 , e57875 (2013). Banerjee, S., Pramanik, S., Banerjee, S., Saha, G. K. & Aditya, G. Effects of density dependent larval competition on the life history traits of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae). Fragmenta entomologica 49 , 97-107 (2017). Huang, Y.-M. The subgenus Stegomyia of Aedes in the Afrotropical Region with keys to the species (Diptera: Culicidae). Zootaxa 700 , 1–120-121–120 (2004). Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Machani","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maxwell","middleName":"G.","lastName":"Machani","suffix":""},{"id":551286247,"identity":"8856eb03-ad0c-4b3a-8733-be49394de836","order_by":2,"name":"Emmanuel Nana Boadu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Centre for Vector-Borne Disease Research, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Emmanuel","middleName":"Nana","lastName":"Boadu","suffix":""},{"id":551286248,"identity":"1c12109f-7a92-493f-9373-be804934bebf","order_by":3,"name":"Sebastian Kow Egyin Mensah","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Centre for Vector-Borne Disease Research, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sebastian","middleName":"Kow 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07:33:31","extension":"xml","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":99402,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"3463b7ff0f634e039c3848923de3eb361structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8078954/v1/eab39a54c21d467db18d33e3.xml"},{"id":96919347,"identity":"34a4d441-d8e6-476d-9db8-0185259c5a03","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-27 14:13:40","extension":"html","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":111039,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8078954/v1/c43d7403aff17f7dfb9205cc.html"},{"id":96882958,"identity":"93b0d699-2540-49e0-847f-c94a10637e5a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-27 07:33:30","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":64776,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eImmature survival probability of \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8078954/v1/85e46f16e51d369ea3f24ea3.png"},{"id":96920331,"identity":"42832370-6c66-4120-8186-95aad521bbc5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-27 14:15:03","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":517903,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eA map of Ghana showing the Aedes vector collection sites. (The base map for the study site depiction was sourced from https://ghana-mission.co.in/mapofghana/ and modified using Adobe Photoshop (Version 7.0.1)).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8078954/v1/79081195e93e4db0744e7bb8.png"},{"id":101151972,"identity":"f30b8442-2973-4ad7-9e54-7eb9141cf7f6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-26 16:08:53","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1795221,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8078954/v1/b74fad33-4a04-4f89-9a55-d9da842fdbf8.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Immature development time and survivorship of the dengue vectors Aedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus and the invasive Aedes albopictus in Ghana","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eArboviral diseases dengue fever (DF) and chikungunya (CHIKV) are emerging and gaining a foothold in West Africa, with a significant threat of recurrent outbreaks in both urban and rural areas \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR2 CR3\" citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. While \u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAedes vittatus\u003c/em\u003e have long been documented in Ghana \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR6\" citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, the recent invasion of \u003cem\u003eAedes albopictus\u003c/em\u003e \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e has coincided with the emergence and surge in DF outbreaks and CHIKV exposure in Ghana \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR10\" citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, suggesting a possible shift in arboviral transmission dynamics. Despite the public health implications of these vectors, there remains a critical knowledge gap regarding the biology and ecology of \u003cem\u003eAedes\u003c/em\u003e mosquitoes in Ghana.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese vectors may have different life history patterns, affecting which species dominates transmission in different areas, and how outbreaks may spread or be sustained. Spatial coexistence of \u003cem\u003eAedes\u003c/em\u003e mosquitoes post-invasion have been documented in various parts of the world \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. The apparent coexistence of these vector species however, could be a transient situation, followed by a reduction \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e or displacement \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e of the native species. \u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e for example may compete because they exploit the same ecological niches, including larval habitats and blood sources \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. This competition can lead one species to replace the other in a given environment. Indeed, several studies around the world have shown that the introduction of \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e often shifts the range and reduces the abundance of native species \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR19 CR20\" citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. \u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e species have been observed using similar resources in parts of Africa \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, suggesting that such competitive interactions may already be occurring. Although studies have not fully identified the mechanisms behind this competition, evidence suggests it occurs during the pre-imaginal stages \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInformation on the larval life history traits of invasive and native \u003cem\u003eAedes\u003c/em\u003e species in Ghana remains poorly documented. Characterizing life-history traits of \u003cem\u003eAedes\u003c/em\u003e mosquitoes, including larval development time, pupation, emergence rates, and survivorship is important for understanding the vector biology, which is necessary for the design and implementation of effective vector control strategies. This study aimed to fill this gap by determining these traits for the native \u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAedes vittatus\u003c/em\u003e, as well as the invasive \u003cem\u003eAedes albopictus\u003c/em\u003e in Ghana.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDevelopment time of immature stages of\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eand\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAedes Vittatus\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe mean time for larval development from first instar (L1) to second instar (L2) was shortest in \u003cem\u003eAedes vittatus\u003c/em\u003e (2.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.30 days) compared to \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e (3.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.49 days) and \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e (3.68\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.40 days) (ANOVA, F\u003csub\u003e2,12\u003c/sub\u003e = 12.69, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.001; Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Similarly, \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e reached the third instar (L3) in 3.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.40 days, almost one day faster than \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e (4.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.51 days) and \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e (4.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.50 days) (ANOVA, F₂,₁₂= 5.17, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.024; Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). The mean larval development time from first instar (L1) to fourth instar (L4) was 7.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.84 days for \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e, 7.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.10 days for \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e whereas \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e was 8.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.00 days. The mean larval development time from L1-L4 among the three species were not statistically significant (ANOVA, F₂,₁₂ = 1.894, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.193; Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eImmature development time of \u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAedes vittatus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAedes species\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLarval instar development time (days)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eL1-L2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eL1-L3\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eL1-L4\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SE\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SE\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SE\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.49\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.51\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.84\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.68\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.4\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.5\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.0\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAe. vitattus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.4\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.3\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.4\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.0\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eValues are means\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard errors. The superscript capital letters following the numerical values indicate the results of multiple comparison tests; values with the same letter were not statistically significant at P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05 and those with different letters were statistically significant at P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePupation and emergence times of\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eand\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAedes albopictus\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti\u003c/em\u003e reached pupal stage 8.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.93 days after hatching as L1 while \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e reached pupal stage 9.7\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.3 and 10.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.0 days respectively. The pupation times of the three species did not differ significantly (ANOVA, F\u003csub\u003e2,12\u003c/sub\u003e =1.744, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.216; Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). The pupation rates were 88% for both \u003cem\u003eAe. Aegypti\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e, and 82% for \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e. No statistically significant difference was observed in the pupation rates among the species (ANOVA, F₂,₁₂= 0.986, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.401).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eComparison of larval-life trait parameters of \u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAedes vittatus\u003c/em\u003e in species only microcosm\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAedes\u003c/em\u003e species\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePupation time (days)\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePupation rate (%)\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean emergence time of males (days)\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean emergence time of females (days)\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEmergence rate (%)\u003csup\u003e5\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.93\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e88.7\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.5\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.4\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.7\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e93.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.7\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.7\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.3\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e88\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.6\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.1\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.6\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e91.4\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.2\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAe. vitattus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.0\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e82.7\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.5\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.6\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.3\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e89.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.0\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eValues are means\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard deviations. The superscript capital letters following the numerical values indicate the results of multiple comparison tests; values with the same letter were not statistically significant at P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05 and those with different letters were statistically significant at P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05.\u0026sup1;Duration of L1 larvae developing to pupae.\u0026sup2;Percentage of larvae developing to pupae. \u0026sup3;Duration of L1 larvae to develop to males. ⁴Duration of L1 to develop into females. ⁵Percentage of pupae developing to adults.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn terms of adult emergence, \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e had a slightly higher emergence rate (93%) than \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e (91%) and \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e (89%), though this difference was not statistically significant (ANOVA, F₂,₁₂ = 0.33, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.725; Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). The emergence time for male and female \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e was 9.9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.4 days and 11.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.7 days respectively while \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e was 10.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.1 days and 11.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.6 days. The emergence time for male and female for \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e was 11.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.6 days and 13.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.3 days. There was no significant difference in the emergence time for males (ANOVA, F\u003csub\u003e2,12\u003c/sub\u003e=1.958, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.184; Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e) or females (ANOVA, F\u003csub\u003e2,12\u003c/sub\u003e=1.616, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.239; Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). The proportion of males emerging was higher (\u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e 52.02% (95% CI: 42.95\u0026ndash;61.10), \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e 52.33% (95% CI: 40.43\u0026ndash;64.23), and \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e 55.87% (95% CI: 47.29\u0026ndash;68.62), compared to the proportion of females: \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e 47.98% (95% CI: 38.90\u0026ndash;57.05), \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e 47.67% (95% CI: 35.77\u0026ndash;59.57), and \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e 44.13% (95% CI: 31.38\u0026ndash;52.71) (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe average number of male and female adults emerging for each species breed separately\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAedes species\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSample\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003esize\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNumber\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eemerged\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMale \u003csup\u003ei\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean (%)\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFemale \u003csup\u003eii\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean (%)\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSex ratio\u003csup\u003eiii\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFemale : Male\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e150\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e124\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52.02\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.3\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e47.98. \u0026plusmn; 7.3\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1:1.08\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAe.albopictus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e150\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e120\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.6\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e47.67\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.6\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1:1.1\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAe. vitattus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e150\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e111\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e55.87\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10.3\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e44.13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10.3\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1:1.3\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eⁱProportion of males that emerged. ⁱⁱProportion of females that emerged. ⁱⁱⁱSex ratio of females to males.*Values indicate mean and the standard deviation. The same superscript letters in the last row indicate no significant difference.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEmergence times of\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eand\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAedes albopictus\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003ein combined microcosm\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the combined microcosm, where all three species were raised together, female emergence time of \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e was the shortest (9.63\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.53 days) whereas \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e females took the longest time to emerge (10.99\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.65 days). The female emergence time of \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e was 9.88\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.63 days. Male \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e took a shorter time to emerge (8.64\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.49 days) compared to \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e males (9.27\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.29 days) and \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e males, which took the longest time to emerge 9.38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.53 days (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eComparison of larval-life trait parameters in combined microcosm of all three Aedes species\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAedes species\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSample size\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNumber emerged\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean development time of males (days)\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean development time of females (days)\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNumber of males emerging\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean(%)\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNumber of females emerging\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean (%)\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e42\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.27\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.29\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.63\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.53\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e62.05\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;14.15\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.94\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;14.15\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAe.albopictus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.53\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.99\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.65\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e61.98\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;18.66\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.02\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;18.66\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAe. vitattus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.64\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.49\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.88\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.63\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e54.93\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;20.68\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e45.07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;20.68\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eValues indicate mean and the standard deviation.\u003c/em\u003e \u003csup\u003e\u003cem\u003ea\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003cem\u003eDuration of L1 larvae to develop to males.\u003c/em\u003e \u003csup\u003e\u003cem\u003eb\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003cem\u003eDuration of L1 to develop into females.\u003c/em\u003e \u003csup\u003e\u003cem\u003ec\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003cem\u003eProportion of males that emerged.\u003c/em\u003e \u003csup\u003e\u003cem\u003ed\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003cem\u003eProportion of females that emerged.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSurvivorship among\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus\u003c/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eand\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAedes albopictus\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe proportion of first-instar \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e that survived to adults (0.83\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.06) was higher compared to \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e (0.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05) and \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e (0.74\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.04). The difference observed was, however, not statistically different (ANOVA, F(\u003csub\u003e2,12\u003c/sub\u003e)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.59, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.059). \u003cem\u003eAedes vittatus\u003c/em\u003e showed a longer survival time of 20 days, with a mean survival length of 11.26\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.67 days compared to \u003cem\u003eAedes albopictus\u003c/em\u003e that survived for 17 days, with a mean survival length of 10.03\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.35 days and \u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti\u003c/em\u003e which showed a shorter survival time of 15 days, with a mean survival length of 9.23\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.97 days (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). The immature mortality rate was highest in the \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e (26%, 95% CI: 19\u0026ndash;33%) followed by \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e (20%, 95% CI: 13.6\u0026ndash;26.4%) and \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e (17.33%, 95% CI: 11.3\u0026ndash;23.3% ). In the combined microcosm, where all three species were raised together, the proportion of first-instar \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e that survived to adults in the combined microcosm (0.76\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.18) was lower compared \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e (0.84\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.21) and \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e (0.82\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.18).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eUnderstanding the ecology and biology of \u003cem\u003eAedes\u003c/em\u003e mosquitoes is important in designing and implementing effective control strategies for \u003cem\u003eAedes\u003c/em\u003e mosquitoes. Larval developmental times and immature survival rates are of particular importance, as they affect the \u003cem\u003eAedes\u003c/em\u003e mosquito density and vectorial capacity, which is closely linked to arboviral disease transmission \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR24 CR25\" citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. In this study, the invasive dengue vector \u003cem\u003eAe. Albopictus\u003c/em\u003e showed comparable development time and survival rate with the native dengue vector \u003cem\u003eAe. Aegypti.\u003c/em\u003e When the vectors were raised together, interspecific interactions reduced adult emergence time in dengue vectors \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti, Ae. albopictus and Ae. vittatus species\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study observed that the larval instar development time of the invasive \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e and the native \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e were shorter compared to \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. The slower development for \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e could be an adaptive trade-off, enhancing its survival in the urban setting. The observed shorter larval development times in \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e compared to \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e may have important effects on vector populations and transmission dynamics. Rapid development can confer a competitive advantage in resource-limited or transient habitats, facilitating invasion success and establishment \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Longer larval instar development time could expose the larval instars to desiccation and predation, inversely affecting vector density and vectorial capacity. Similar studies on the larval life history of \u003cem\u003eAedes\u003c/em\u003e mosquitoes have observed short periods larval instar development times \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR31 CR32\" citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSimilar to the findings of Giatropoulos and colleagues \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, larval instar developmental time of \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti, Ae. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e when they competed with each other (combined microcosm) was a day shorter compared with single species development (each species only microcosm). In mosquito vectors, competition for food and space during pre-imaginal stages influences a multitude of fitness-related life history traits\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. For instance, in interspecific competition, coexistence equilibrium such as differential resource use and spatial or temporal variations in habitat conditions has been noted to allow competing species to develop at a regular or faster pace \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Intraspecific larval competition in contrast has been shown to cause prolonged larval development and reduced larval survival \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe fact that \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus, Ae. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e can develop faster in mixed-species environments (combined microcosm) suggests reduced competitive pressure due to possible resource partitioning or habitat segregation. Faster developmental times could mean dengue vectors may reach adulthood within short periods, resulting in rapid population turnover and higher vector densities. Communities may face long transmission cycles and higher exposure risks, especially in settings where these species overlap.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSurvivorship of the \u003cem\u003eAedes albopictus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti\u003c/em\u003e was high and characterized by shorter larval survival duration, high pupation rates and adult emergence compared to the \u003cem\u003eAedes vitattus\u003c/em\u003e colonies. The high survival rates of \u003cem\u003eAedes albopictus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti\u003c/em\u003e immatures may enable rapid population turnover in resource-limited or transient habitats. In contrast, \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e showed longer larval survival durations, suggesting a slower developmental strategy that may favor persistence in more stable environments. These contrasting life-history strategies have important implications for arboviral transmission dynamics as short survival times can rapidly lead to large vector populations capable of dengue transmission within short periods whereas extended survival can produce similarly competent vectors but at a slower population turnover rate. The high adult emergence rate of \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e observed underscores its potential to quickly establish and populate in areas they invade, enabling effective dengue fever transmission.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSuccessful establishment of \u003cem\u003eAedes albopictus\u003c/em\u003e in Ghana could represent a significant shift in arboviral transmission dynamics. The invasive vector \u003cem\u003eAedes albopictus\u003c/em\u003e coexisting with native vectors could mean arboviral disease transmission no longer rely on a single dominant vector. Instead, multiple efficient vectors may now coexist, increasing the overall \u003cem\u003eAedes\u003c/em\u003e population capable of sustained arboviral disease transmission.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn this study, the invasive dengue vector \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e showed developmental time and survival rates close to those of the native \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e, suggesting successful adaptation to local environments. When the dengue vectors were raised together, interspecific interactions reduced adult emergence times. This emphasize that \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e could survive and proliferate and even replace the native dengue vectors in Ghana just like it has in some African countries.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSources of\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eand\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAedes vittatus\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003emosquitoes\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAedes albopictus\u003c/em\u003e larvae were collected from breeding habitats in the port city of Takoradi, Ghana (4.5400\u0026deg; N, 1.4400\u0026deg; W) where this invasive vector has recently been found breeding in high densities \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. \u003cem\u003eAedes vittatus\u003c/em\u003e larvae were collected from breeding habitats near the Tema port (5.6698\u0026deg; N, 0.0200\u0026deg; W) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). The Takoradi and Tema seaports receives shipment from all over the world, including vehicles and car tyres. The collected samples were transported to the insectary at the University of Ghana Medical School, Korlebu, Accra where the larvae were raised into adults under standard conditions (26\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2\u0026deg;C; 70% \u0026plusmn; 5% relative humidity with a 12h :12 h light/dark photoperiod). Larvae were fed on ground fish flakes daily. Adults were fed with 10% sugar solution. Adult females were blood-fed and first filial generation (F1) eggs obtained washed into larval bowls containing rainwater.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLarval life table experiments of\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eand\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAedes vittatus.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe larval life-table experiments were conducted in cut car tyres placed in an outdoor semi-natural setting. We selected car tyres because a previous study showed that car tyres were the most ideal for \u003cem\u003eAedes\u003c/em\u003e larval breeding in the study area \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. The experimental design involved setting up a microcosm with each of the three-aedine species and a fourth one with all three species in cut car-tyres. Each car tyre was approximately 56cm in length and 15cm in height. There were five (5) replicates for each species including a combined set up with all three species.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor each of the 3-aedine species experiment, thirty (30) 2-hour-old larvae were introduced into a car tyre containing 3\u0026ndash;4 litres of rainwater and covered with a muslin net. For the fourth experimental setup, ten (10) 2-hour-old larvae of each species were introduced into a car tyre containing 3\u0026ndash;4 L of rainwater and covered with a muslin net. Each replicate was placed under trees in different parts of the campus of the University of Ghana Medical School in Korle-bu, Accra, Ghana.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach day, alive and dead larvae in each experimental replicate was counted, and their stage recorded. Water levels were checked daily and replenished as needed. Pupae collected from each replicate were held in pre-labelled individual paper cups with water of a depth of 25 ml for adult emergence. The paper cups containing one pupa per cup were covered with muslin netting and observed daily for adult emergence, pupal mortality, adult mosquitoes that emerged, and sex of emerged adults. The emerged adults were morphologically identified using keys provided by Huang \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eData management and analysis\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLarval development time was recorded in days as the duration from the first-instar larval stage to the pupal stage. The pupation rate was calculated as the sum of the total number of pupae per the sum of the total number of first-instar larvae. The emergence rate was calculated as the sum of the number of adults that emerged per the total number of pupae. Survivorship was defined as the proportion of first-instar larvae surviving to adults. Mean emergence time was defined as the average duration in days for first-instar larvae to develop into adult. Kaplan\u0026ndash;Meier survival test was used in the testing for differences in larval survivorship among the three \u003cem\u003eAedes\u003c/em\u003e species. One-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey HSD test was used to determine the differences in larval development time, pupation rate and emergence rate amongst the species. The level of significance was set at 0.05 for all tests. Statistical analysis were performed in STATA/IC 14.1 software package.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe sincerely appreciate the residents of the communities that served as study sites for their support during our study. Our sincere gratitude goes to all the staff of the Takoradi port and Tema port for their support and assistance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor information\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAuthors and Affiliations\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCentre for Vector-Borne Disease Research, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYaw Akuamoah-Boateng, Emmanuel Nana Boadu, Sebastian Kwo Egyin Mensah, Nana Aba Sertorwu Eyeson, Anisa Abdulai and Yaw Asare Afrane.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCentre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaxwell G. Machani\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYAA conceived, designed and supervised the study. YAB, ENB and SKEM were responsible for the study data collection. YAB, MGM, NASE and AA contributed to the analysis of the data. YAB, MGM and YAA drafted the manuscript. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCorresponding author\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence to Yaw Asare Afrane ([email protected])\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunder information\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (RO3 AI186018, and D43 TW 011513). The funding agency had no involvement in the study\u0026apos;s design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or manuscript preparation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll datasets generated during this study are available on request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical declarations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to publish\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflict of interest\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWHO. \u003cem\u003eDengue Fever - Burkina Faso\u003c/em\u003e, \u0026lt;https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/6-november-2017-dengue-burkina-faso-en\u0026gt; (2017).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDieng, I.\u003cem\u003e et al.\u003c/em\u003e Analysis of a Dengue Virus Outbreak in Rosso, Senegal 2021. \u003cem\u003eTrop Med Infect Dis\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e7\u003c/strong\u003e (2022). https://doi.org:10.3390/tropicalmed7120420\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFouri\u0026eacute;, T.\u003cem\u003e et al.\u003c/em\u003e Emergence of dengue virus serotype 2 in Mauritania and molecular characterization of its circulation in West Africa. \u003cem\u003ePLoS Negl Trop Dis\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e15\u003c/strong\u003e, e0009829 (2021). https://doi.org:10.1371/journal.pntd.0009829\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAgha, S. 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N.\u003cem\u003e et al.\u003c/em\u003e Patterns of ecological adaptation of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus and Stegomyia indices highlight the potential risk of arbovirus transmission in Yaound\u0026eacute;, the Capital City of Cameroon. \u003cem\u003ePathogens\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e9\u003c/strong\u003e, 491 (2020).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaciel-de-Freitas, R. A review on the ecological determinants of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) vectorial capacity. \u003cem\u003eOecologia Australis\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e14\u003c/strong\u003e, 726-736 (2010).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaciel-de-Freitas, R., Eiras, \u0026Aacute;. E. \u0026amp; Louren\u0026ccedil;o-de-Oliveira, R. Calculating the survival rate and estimated population density of gravid Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicidae) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. \u003cem\u003eCadernos de Sa\u0026uacute;de P\u0026uacute;blica\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e24\u003c/strong\u003e, 2747-2754 (2008).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGarrett-Jones, C. Prognosis for interruption of malaria transmission through assessment of the mosquito\u0026apos;s vectorial capacity. (1964).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCui, G.\u003cem\u003e et al.\u003c/em\u003e Aedes albopictus life table: environment, food, and age dependence survivorship and reproduction in a tropical area. \u003cem\u003eParasites \u0026amp; Vectors\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e14\u003c/strong\u003e, 568 (2021). https://doi.org:10.1186/s13071-021-05081-x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdeleke, M. A., Mafiana, C. F., Idowu, A. B., Adekunle, M. F. \u0026amp; Sam-Wabo, S. 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Effects of different temperature regimens on the development of Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes. \u003cem\u003eActa Tropica\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e119\u003c/strong\u003e, 38-43 (2011). https://doi.org:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2011.04.004\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDelatte, H., Gimonneau, G., Triboire, A. \u0026amp; Fontenille, D. Influence of Temperature on Immature Development, Survival, Longevity, Fecundity, and Gonotrophic Cycles of Aedes albopictus, Vector of Chikungunya and Dengue in the Indian Ocean. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Medical Entomology\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e46\u003c/strong\u003e, 33-41 (2009). https://doi.org:10.1603/033.046.0105\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGiatropoulos, A., Papachristos, D., Michaelakis, A., Kapranas, A. \u0026amp; Emmanouel, N. Laboratory study on larval competition between two related mosquito species: Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus and Aedes (Stegomyia) cretinus. \u003cem\u003eActa Tropica\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e230\u003c/strong\u003e, 106389 (2022).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTsurim, I., Silberbush, A., Ovadia, O., Blaustein, L. \u0026amp; Margalith, Y. Inter-and intra-specific density-dependent effects on life history and development strategies of larval mosquitoes. \u003cem\u003ePloS one\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e8\u003c/strong\u003e, e57875 (2013).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBanerjee, S., Pramanik, S., Banerjee, S., Saha, G. K. \u0026amp; Aditya, G. Effects of density dependent larval competition on the life history traits of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae). \u003cem\u003eFragmenta entomologica\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e49\u003c/strong\u003e, 97-107 (2017).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHuang, Y.-M. The subgenus Stegomyia of Aedes in the Afrotropical Region with keys to the species (Diptera: Culicidae). \u003cem\u003eZootaxa\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e700\u003c/strong\u003e, 1\u0026ndash;120-121\u0026ndash;120 (2004).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus, larval survivorship, development time, interspecific competition","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8078954/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8078954/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eInvasion of\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAedes albopictus \u003c/em\u003emosquitoes in the West African sub-region has coincided with multiple outbreaks of dengue fever. Unfortunately, little is known about the biology and ecology of the invasive \u003cem\u003eAedes albopictus\u003c/em\u003e and native vectors \u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus\u003c/em\u003e. This study investigated the immature development time and survivorship of \u003cem\u003eAedes aegypti,\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eAedes albopictus \u003c/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eAedes vittatus \u003c/em\u003emosquitoes in Ghana. Larval life-tables were conducted under semi-field conditions. Immature development time, pupation rate, and survivorship were recorded daily. The development time of \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti,\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus \u003c/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eAe. vitattus\u003c/em\u003e immatures was 8.8±0.93, 9.7±1.3 and 10.6±2.0 days respectively. The pupation rate (\u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti: \u003c/em\u003e88.7±6.5\u003cem\u003e, Ae. albopictus: \u003c/em\u003e88±9.6\u003cem\u003e, Ae. vittatus\u003c/em\u003e: 82.7±5.5) did not differ significantly. Survivorship of \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti \u003c/em\u003e(0.83±0.06), \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus \u003c/em\u003e(0.80±0.05) and \u003cem\u003eAe.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003evittatus \u003c/em\u003e(0.74±0.04) was not statistically different. In combined microcosms, where all three species were raised together, survivorship of \u003cem\u003eAe. vittatus \u003c/em\u003ewas lower (0.76±0.18) compared \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti \u003c/em\u003e(0.84±0.21) and \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus \u003c/em\u003e(0.82±0.18).\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c/strong\u003eThis study shows that the invasive dengue vector \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e exhibits developmental time and survival rates close to those of the native \u003cem\u003eAe. aegypti\u003c/em\u003e, indicating successful adaptation to local environments. These findings suggest that \u003cem\u003eAe. albopictus\u003c/em\u003e could establish, proliferate, and potentially displace native dengue vectors in Ghana.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Immature development time and survivorship of the dengue vectors Aedes aegypti, Aedes vittatus and the invasive Aedes albopictus in Ghana","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-27 07:33:26","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8078954/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-12-02T05:32:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-12-01T15:46:38+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-27T12:27:47+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"337676322658218509807170488021746516346","date":"2025-11-26T15:35:02+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"11655310515828881732063285514984866846","date":"2025-11-26T01:10:21+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"19681800159839346476397979728116823075","date":"2025-11-23T08:54:48+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-11-19T15:39:25+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-11-14T06:03:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-11-11T04:32:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-11-11T04:31:53+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2025-11-10T15:56:34+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"60e693de-2475-4691-9bb3-50430b63c755","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 27th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":58662621,"name":"Health sciences/Diseases"},{"id":58662622,"name":"Biological sciences/Ecology"},{"id":58662623,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Ecology"},{"id":58662624,"name":"Biological sciences/Microbiology"},{"id":58662625,"name":"Biological sciences/Zoology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-26T16:05:34+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-8078954","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-36526-x","journal":{"identity":"scientific-reports","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Scientific Reports"},"publishedOn":"2026-01-20 15:57:48","publishedOnDateReadable":"January 20th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-27 07:33:26","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41598-026-36526-x","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-36526-x","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8078954","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8078954","identity":"rs-8078954","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}