Safety Assessment of Transgenic Organisms in the Environment, Volume 8
OECD Consensus Document of the Biology of Mosquito Aedes aegypti
Volume 8 of the Series contains the first biosafety ‘consensus document’ to deal with the biology of an insect, the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Issued by the OECD Working Group on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology, the science-based consensus documents collate information for use during the regulatory risk assessment of biotechnology products, i.e. transgenic organisms (plants, animals, micro-organisms) when intended for release in the environment. Ae. aegypti mosquito is vectoring yellow fever, dengue, Zika and Chikungunya diseases in tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide. Biotechnological applications are developed to control the mosquito population and reduce virus transmission. The book provides information on Ae. aegypti taxonomy, morphology, life cycle, reproductive biology, genetics, ecology, interactions with other species and the environment. The mosquito effects on human and animal health, and the control strategies/specific programmes to limit its development are also summarised.
Reproductive biology of the mosquito Ae. aegypti
This chapter details the four life stages of mosquito Aedes aegypti in their reproductive biology aspects. The breeding sites that can be either natural sites or artificial containers provided by human habitats. The eggs can survive dry conditions, their hatching and embryonic development depending on humidity and temperature. The larval and pupal stages are strictly aquatic, the whole development phase in water comprising four successive larval instars followed by the mobile pupae. The adult stage occurs in open-air and constitutes the reproductive and dispersal phase. The mosquito characteristics regarding mating, physiology and behaviour of reproduction, fecundity and fertility are also described. Then elements are given on Ae. aegypti life table analysis, interspecific breeding, and the effect of the bacteria Wolbachia on the mosquito reproduction.