A Standardized Rearing Procedure for Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): Implications for Laboratory Based Vector Competence and Control Studies

Abstract

Background: Aedes aegypti is a major vector of numerous arboviruses, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yel­low fever. This study aimed to establish a standardized and practical procedure for maintaining and propagating an Ae. aegypti colony under controlled insectary conditions in Bandar Abbas, Iran.

Methods: Environmental parameters were routinely monitored. Larvae were reared with an appropriate diet under a regular feeding schedule, while adult mosquitoes were provided with a sucrose solution and blood meals. The correla­tion between the duration of egg paper drying and the hatching percentage was evaluated. Hatching rates were com­pared across three media: cooled boiled water, yeast and larval food.

Results: A strong negative correlation was observed between drying duration and hatching percentage, with a Pearson correlation of −0.818 (p< 0.001). Gradual drying of egg papers over a period of two days resulted in a hatching rate of over 90% without any hatching stimulant. No significant differences in hatching rates were found among the three me­dia, as indicated by F= 0.601 (p= 0.578). In a novel observation, female mosquitoes were found to deposit ap­proxi­mately 20−30% of their eggs directly on the water surface inside ovitraps under insectary conditions in Iran.

Conclusion: This study provides a reliable, low‑cost model for rearing Ae. aegypti in research insectaries and facilitates future studies on vector control.