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The concomitant effects of self-limiting insect releases and behavioural interference on patterns of coexistence and exclusion of competing mosquitoes

Abstract:
Aedes aegypti is the dominant vector of dengue, a potentially fatal virus whose incidence has increased 8-fold in the last two decades. As dengue has no widely available vaccine, vector control is key to reducing the burden on global public health. A promising method is the release of self-limiting Ae. aegypti, which mate with wild Ae. aegypti and produce non viable offspring. The resultant decrease in Ae. aegypti population size may impact coexistence with Ae. albopictus, another principal vector of dengue. A behavioural mechanism influencing coexistence between these species is reproductive interference, where incomplete species recognition results in heterospecifics engaging in mating activities. We develop a theoretical framework to investigate the interaction between GM self-limiting Ae. aegypti releases and reproductive interference between Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus on patterns of coexistence. In the absence of self-limiting Ae. aegypti release, coexistence can occur when the strength of reproductive interference experienced by both species is low. Results show that substantial overflooding with self-limiting Ae. aegypti prevents coexistence. For lower release ratios, as the release ratio increases, coexistence can occur when the strength of reproductive interference is increasingly high for Ae. albopictus and increasingly low for Ae. aegypti. This emphasises the importance of including behavioural ecological processes into population models to evaluate the efficacy of vector control.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1098/rspb.2021.0714

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Zoology
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-0848-9395
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Department:
ZOOLOGY
Sub department:
Zoology
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0003-0250-0423


Publisher:
The Royal Society
Journal:
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences More from this journal
Volume:
288
Article number:
20210714
Publication date:
2021-05-19
Acceptance date:
2021-04-16
DOI:
EISSN:
1471-2954
ISSN:
0962-8452


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1171863
Local pid:
pubs:1171863
Deposit date:
2021-04-16

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