Jirakanjanakit N, Leemingsawat S, Thongrungkiat S, Apiwathnasorn C, Singhaniyom S, Bellec C, Dujardin J P
Center for Vaccine Development, Institute of Science and Technology for Research and Development, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhonpathom, Thailand.
Trop Med Int Health. 2007 Nov;12(11):1354-60. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2007.01919.x.
Variation in wing length among natural populations of Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is associated with different vectorial capacities. Geometric morphometrics allowed us to use a more powerful estimator of wing size ('centroid size'), as well as to visualize the variation of wing shape, to describe the effects of density or food variation at larval stage on 20 anatomical landmarks of the wing of A. aegypti.
Almost perfect correlations between (centroid) size and larval density or size and larval food were observed in both sexes: a negative correlation with increasing density and a positive one with increasing amount of food. The allometric component of shape change was always highly significant, with stronger contribution of size to shape under food effects. Within each experiment, either food or density effects, and excluding extreme conditions, allometric trends were similar among replicates and sexes. However, they differed between the two experiments, suggesting different axes of wing growth.
Aedes aegypti size is highly sensible to food concentration or population density acting at larval stages. As larger individuals could be better vectors, and because of the stronger effect of food concentration on size, vector control activities should pay more attention in eliminating containers with rich organic matter. Furthermore, as a simple reduction in larval density could significantly increase the size of the survivors, turning them into potentially better vectors, the control activities should try to obtain a complete elimination of the domestic populations.
埃及伊蚊（双翅目：蚊科）自然种群的翅长变异与不同的传病能力相关。几何形态测量学使我们能够使用一种更强大的翅大小估计值（“形心大小”），并可视化翅形变异，以描述幼虫阶段密度或食物变化对埃及伊蚊翅的20个解剖学标志点的影响。
在两性中均观察到（形心）大小与幼虫密度或大小与幼虫食物之间几乎完美的相关性：与密度增加呈负相关，与食物量增加呈正相关。形状变化的异速生长成分始终高度显著，在食物影响下大小对形状的贡献更强。在每个实验中，无论是食物还是密度影响，排除极端条件后，重复实验和性别之间的异速生长趋势相似。然而，两个实验之间存在差异，表明翅生长的轴不同。
埃及伊蚊的大小对幼虫阶段的食物浓度或种群密度高度敏感。由于较大的个体可能是更好的病媒，并且由于食物浓度对大小的影响更强，病媒控制活动应更加注意清除含有丰富有机物的容器。此外，由于简单降低幼虫密度可显著增加存活个体的大小，使其成为潜在更好的病媒，控制活动应努力彻底消灭家庭中的种群。
