Extended time to maturity in Anopheles coluzzii: Implications of late egg hatch for vector control and transgene fitness

Ottih, Emmanuel C.; Roberts, Joe M.; Bruce, Toby J. A.; Tripet, Frédéric

Abstract

Maintaining fitness is an important consideration when mosquitoes are mass‐reared for the deployment of genetic interventions that are designed to suppress populations because released mosquitoes need to compete with wild‐type mosquitoes. Late‐hatching mosquitoes are more suitable for transportation to remote field sites. Here, we investigated the fitness of late‐hatching phenotypes in Anopheles coluzzii. Selected lines of the VK strain (from Burkina Faso) were created through bidirectional selection for early and late hatching, over 20 generations. These were compared with each other and the established Mopti reference strain from Mali, reared in the lab for >16 years. Significant differences in life‐history traits were found between Mopti and VK strains but few differences were found between the selected VK lines. Considering that late‐hatching VK lines showed no evidence of fitness costs, our results suggest that the late selected VK lines, which start hatching after 4 days, are an alternative option for egg shipment for mass mosquito releases over the well‐established Mopti that hatches within 2 days and has lower adult survival.

Citation

Ottih, E. C., Roberts, J. M., Bruce, T. J. A., & Tripet, F. (2025). Extended time to maturity in Anopheles coluzzii: Implications of late egg hatch for vector control and transgene fitness. Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12814

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 23, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Jun 6, 2025
• Publication Date: Jun 6, 2025
• Deposit Date: Jun 11, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 11, 2025
• Journal: Medical and Veterinary Entomology
• Print ISSN: 0269-283X
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-2915
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 1-10
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12814
• Keywords: Anopheles coluzzii, bidirectional selection, early and late hatching, genetically modified mosquitoes, Mopti, mosquito mass rearing, phenotypes, strains, VK
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/1276934
• Publisher URL: https://resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mve.12814