Pest Management Science (2020) 76, 1324-1332

Beniamino Caputo, Riccardo Moretti, Mattia Manica, Paola Serini, Elena Lampazzi, Marco Bonanni, Giulia Fabbri, Verena Pichler, Alessandra della Torre and Maurizio Calvitti (2020)
A bacterium against the tiger: preliminary evidence of fertility reduction after release of Aedes albopictus males with manipulated Wolbachia infection in an Italian urban area
Pest Management Science 76 (4), 1324-1332
Abstract:
BACKGROUND
Novel tools are needed to reduce the nuisance and risk of exotic arbovirus transmission associated with the colonization of temperate regions by Aedes albopictus. The incompatible insect technique (IIT) is a population suppression approach based on cytoplasmic incompatibility between males with manipulated endosymbionts and wild females. Here, we present the results of the first field experiment in Europe to assess the capacity of an Ae. albopictus line (ARwP) deprived of its natural endosymbiont Wolbachia and transinfected with a Wolbachia strain from the mosquito Culex pipiens, to sterilize wild females.
RESULTS
We released ~ 4500 ARwP males weekly for 6 weeks in a green area within urban Rome (Italy) and carried out egg (N = 13 442), female (N = 128) and male (N = 352) collections. Egg (N = 13 783) and female (N = 48) collections were also carried out at two untreated control sites. The percentage of viable eggs during release was, on average, significantly lower in treated sites than in control sites, with the greatest difference (16%) seen after the fourth release. The ARwP to wild male ratio in the release spots between day 3 after the first ARwP male release and day 7 after the last release was, on average, 7:10. Released males survived up to 2 weeks. Approximately 30% of females collected in the release spots showed 100% sterility and 20% showed strongly reduced fertility compared with control sites.
CONCLUSIONS
Results support the potential of IIT as a tool contributing to Ae. albopictus control in the urban context, and stress the need for larger field trials to evaluate the cost-efficacy of the approach in suppressing wild populations.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Riccardo Moretti, Maurizio Calvitti

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
inundative/inoculative release

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Aedes albopictus		Italy
Wolbachia (genus - entomopathogens)	Aedes albopictus		Italy