The sex pheromone heptacosane enhances the mating competitiveness of sterile Aedes aegypti males

作者：Lin‐Min Wang, Li Ni, Zhang Mao, Qi Tang, Hong‐Zheng Lu, Qing‐Ya Zhou, Jia‐Xuan Niu, Liang Xiao, Zhe‐Yu Peng, Chao Zhang, Miao Liu, Duoquan Wang, Sheng‐Qun Deng · 发表于：Parasites & Vectors · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1186/s13071-023-05711-6 · 被引用次数：14 · 研究领域：Insect behavior and control techniques、Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences、Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research

BACKGROUND: Aedes aegypti is a vector that transmits various viral diseases, including dengue and Zika. The radiation-based sterile insect technique (SIT) has a limited effect on mosquito control because of the difficulty in irradiating males without reducing their mating competitiveness. In this study, the insect sex pheromone heptacosane was applied to Ae. aegypti males to investigate whether it could enhance the mating competitiveness of irradiated males. METHODS: Heptacosane was smeared on the abdomens of Ae. aegypti males that were allowed to mate with untreated virgin females. The insemination rate was used to assess the attractiveness of heptacosane-treated males to females. The pupae were irradiated with different doses of X-rays and γ-rays, and the emergence, survival time, egg number, and hatch rate were detected to find the optimal dose of X-ray and γ-ray radiation. The males irradiated at the optimal dose were smeared with heptacosane, released in different ratios with untreated males, and mated with females. The effect of heptacosane on the mating competitiveness of irradiated mosquitoes was then evaluated by the hatch rate, induced sterility, and mating competitiveness index. RESULTS: Applying heptacosane to Ae. aegypti males significantly increased the insemination rate of females by 20%. Pupal radiation did not affect egg number but significantly reduced survival time and hatch rate. The emergence of the pupae was not affected by X-ray radiation but was affect...