Evaluation of large volume yeast interfering RNA lure-and-kill ovitraps for attraction and control of Aedes mosquitoes
- Indiana Univ. School of Medicine, South Bend, IN (United States); Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States)
- Univ. of the West Indies, St. Augustine (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States)
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Indiana Univ. School of Medicine, South Bend, IN (United States); Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States); Univ. of the West Indies, St. Augustine (Trinidad and Tobago)
Aedes mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), principle vectors of several arboviruses, typically lay eggs in man-made water-filled containers located near human dwellings. Given the widespread emergence of insecticide resistance, stable and biofriendly alternatives for mosquito larviciding are needed. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that inactivated yeast interfering RNA tablets targeting key larval developmental genes can be used to facilitate effective larvicidal activity while also promoting selective gravid female oviposition behaviour. In this work, we examined the efficacy of transferring this technology toward development of lure-and-kill ovitraps targeting Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) female mosquitoes. Insectary, simulated field and semi-field experiments demonstrated that two mosquito-specific yeast interfering RNA pesticides induce high levels of mortality among larvae of both species in treated large volume containers. Small-scale field trials conducted in Trinidad, West Indies demonstrated that large volume ovitrap containers baited with inactivated yeast tablets lure significantly more gravid females than traps containing only water and were highly attractive to both A. aegypti and A. albopictus females. Finally, these studies indicate that development of biorational yeast interfering RNA-baited ovitraps may represent a new tool for control of Aedes mosquitoes, including deployment in existing lure-and-kill ovitrap technologies or traditional container larviciding programs.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; National Institutes of Health (NIH); USDOD
- Grant/Contract Number:
- 89233218CNA000001; R21 AI128116-01; W81XWH-17-1-0294; W81XWH-17-1-0295
- OSTI ID:
- 1756832
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-20-29552
- Journal Information:
- Medical and Veterinary Entomology, Vol. 35, Issue 3; ISSN 0269-283X
- Publisher:
- WileyCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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