Small females prefer small males: size assortative mating in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

摘要: With Aedes aegypti mosquitoes now being released in field programmes aimed at disease suppression, there is interest identifying factors influencing the mating and invasion success of mosquitoes. One factor that can increase release size: males may benefit competitively from larger than their counterparts. However, could be a risk releasing only large if small females avoid these instead prefer males. Here we investigate this by evaluating for differing size. We measured indirectly coupling size with Wolbachia-infected or uninfected scoring cytoplasmic incompatibility. Large showed no evidence preference, whereas were relatively more successful when females, exhibiting an advantage around 20–25%. Because typically encompass wide range sizes while laboratory reared (and released) fall into narrow mosquitoes, patterns influence which rely on incompatibility to suppress populations initiate replacement invasions. Releases include some generated under low food crowded conditions counter issue, although would need weighed against issues associated costs producing various classes.