Matthew J. Lundquist, Edward D. Walker, and Michael G. Kaufman Michigan State University

1. Growing up fast: The ins and outs of Why Aedes japonicus May Exploit Some Larval Habitats Better than Aedes triseriatus Matthew J. Lundquist, Edward D. Walker, and Michael G. Kaufman Michigan State University

2. Aedes japonicus Aedestriseriatus • Invasive rock pool mosquito from Eastern Asia • First detected in the eastern US in 1998 and has since expanded to southern, midwestern, and some western states • Native tree hole-dwelling species to the US • It is the primary vector of La Crosse Encephalitis and has been widely studied

3. Competition between Ae. Japonicus and other Mosquito Species • Larval Aedes japonicus interact with other mosquito species within container habitats including Ae. triseriatus. • Both species, therefore, utilize similar food resources.

4. Increased Growth Rate in Ae. Japonicus • We have found that Ae. japonicus develops to adult much sooner than Ae. triseriatus. • The increased growth, however, is not a result of competition between the two species

5. Final Weight • Both Ae. japonicus and Ae. triseriatus grow to the same size as adults. • How Ae. japonicus accelerates the process is what we are interested in studying

6. Competitive advantages of Ae. japonicus • Our hypothesis is that Ae japonicus is able to better utilize larval food resources and thus has an advantage over Ae. triseriatus. • These food resources include • Bacteria • Fungi • Algae All of which colonize leaf detritus

7. Larval feeding behavior

8. Feeding behavior in Ae. japonicus • Aedes japonicus seems to remove more food off of leaves than Ae. triseriatus (Kaufman, unpublished data) • This might help explain how Ae. japonicus can grow faster Protozoa Removed from Leaves

9. The Importance of Individual Larvae • Most mosquito studies deal with interactions between a group of larvae BUT little is known about how individual larvae behave intrinsically.

10. Our Research • Our studies will use “nanocosms” to investigate the following factors on individual larval development time and size at emergence. • Intrinsic growth potential • Effect of temperature • Effect of food quantity/quality • Effect of dissolved nutrients • Effect of decaying animal matter

11. Effect of Temperature and Food Quantity on Aedes triseriatus • Previous work has indicated that female Ae. triseriatus larvae will grow somewhat faster at a higher temperature (Walker, unpublished data) but not at a higher food rations. • We will soon examine this in Ae. japonicus

12. Other Growth Factors • We will be looking at nitrogen addition to nanocosms. • Field Ae. japonicus actually have lower nitrogen concentrations than Ae. triseriatus (Kaufman, unpublished data). • We believe that Ae. japonicus may be able to better utilize nitrogen. Nitrogen Concentration of Field Collected Mosquitoes

13. Significance • Understanding the factors that contribute to mosquito growth. • Increase our knowledge on how invasive and non-invasive species interact in common habitats. • Shed light on how individual larvae interact with their environment.

14. Acknowledgements I would like to thank • My advisor: Michael Kaufman • My guidance committee: Edward Walker Alexander Shingleton Fred Dyer • Craig Bateman, Brian Lovett, and Amanda Lorenz for help setting up the preliminary studies