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Development of Standardised Mass Rearing Systems for Male Anopheles Arabiensis Mosquitoes

Closed for proposals

Project Type

Coordinated Research Project

Project Code

G34001

CRP

1345

Approved Date

9 July 2004

Status

Closed

Start Date

15 September 2005

Expected End Date

15 September 2011

Completed Date

15 September 2011

Description

Successful application of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) against many pest species has lead to resurgence in interest to develop this area-wide control/elimination strategy against African malaria vectors. Genetic control of mosquitoes to curb disease transmission is not new, and has been applied with varying degrees of success. SIT was successfully implemented in a pilot project against the malaria mosquito Anopheles albimanus in El Salvador in the 1970s. Since then, scientific advances in the fields of molecular biology, mosquito ecology and behaviour, as well as GIS technology, have improved prospects for mosquito SIT development. This CRP will focus on key gaps in knowledge on mosquito mass rearing and adult maintenance, and includes aspects of aquaculture, aquatic microbiology, colonization and mosquito genetics. The ultimate goal of the CRP is to develop and standardize cost-efficient mass production procedures for male Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes with fitness and competitiveness levels that match their wild counterparts.

Objectives

Any genetic control programme is a process, beginning with colonization and mass rearing of males and females, followed by shipping and finally release of the males in the target population. The overall objective of the CRP on Development of Standardised Mass Rearing System for male Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes was developing colonization and rearing methods for this and other mosquito species, irradiation procedures and other processes prior to field releases. The ultimate goal was to assist Member States in establishing mosquito colonies and assess their ability to study the use of area-wide SIT suppression programmes in their country

Specific objectives

1. EVALUATING COLONIZATION METHODS AND PROCEDURES.
2. DEVELOPING A MASS PRODUCTION SYSTEM
3. OPTIMIZING HOLDING, PACKAGING AND TRANSPORTATION

Impact

The development of cost-effective mass rearing equipment and diet has been highly desirable. The technology transfer and the implementation of such mass rearing tools are a prerequisite for effective SIT programmes for mosquito species, leading to reduced chemical applications to the environment, and protecting human populations to virus and parasite exposures. Knowledge gained and practical procedures developed during this CRP have already been transferred to counterparts and are transferable, at least in part, to other mosquito species with control programmes that include an SIT component.

Relevance

The CRP was extremely relevant to advance towards mosquito SIT implementation. Focusing research on the development of a mass-rearing module was crucial for the implementation of future control programmes in Member States and highly relevant to the mosquito project 2.1.4.4, now part of the Insect Pest Control Sub-programme activities. The CRP succeeded in creating a research group focusing on the importance of mass-producing good quality mosquitoes. Effectively the CRP brought the participants together, resulting in goal-oriented applied research that produced tangible results. Dissemination of these results, either as protocols, guidelines, or in the peer reviewed scientific literature, provides universal access to the advances made. In addition, the technology developed has been now transferred to several counterparts and will be tested and refined according to the biology of the target mosquito species. The progress obtained in the CRP highly contributes to the feasibility studies for the use of SIT in an AW-IPM to control mosquito population in Sudan, in Italy and in La Reunion and in French Polynesia.

CRP Publications

Year

2009

Description

AGEEP, T.B., J. COX, M.M. HASSAN, B.G.J.KNOLS, M.Q. BENEDICT, C.A. MALCOLM, A. BABIKER and B.B. EL SAYED (2009). Spatial and temporal distribution of the malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis in northern Sudan: influence of environmental factors and implications for vector control. Malaria Journal 8:123.

Country/Organization

Sudan

Year

2009

Description

HOWELL, P.I., and M.Q. BENEDICT (2009). Mating competitiveness of Anopheles arabiensis males as a function of transgenic state and genetic similarity to females. Journal of Insect Behavior 22:477-491.

Country/Organization

USA

Year

2010

Description

BALESTRINO, F., S.M. SOLIBAN, J. GILLES, C. OLIVA and M.Q. BENEDICT (2010). Ovipositional behaviour, in the context of mass rearing of Anopheles arabiensis. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 26:365-372.

Country/Organization

Italy

Year

2009

Description

HELINSKI, M.E., and B.G. KNOLS (2009). Sperm quantity and size variation in un-irradiated and irradiated males of the malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis Patton. Acta Tropica 109:64-69.

Year

2010

Description

NG'HABI, K.R., D. MWASHESHI, B.G.J KNOLS, AND H.M. FERGUSON (2010). Establishment of a self-propagating population of the African malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis under semi-field conditions. Malaria Journal 9:356.

Country/Organization

Tanzania

Year

2008

Description

HELINSKI, M.E.; M.M. HASSAN, W.M. EL MOTASIM, C.A. MALCOLM, B.G.J. KNOLS and B. EL SAYED (2008). Towards a sterile insect technique field release of Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes in Sudan: Irradiation, transportation, and field cage experimentation. Malaria Journal 7, 65.

Year

2009

Description

PAPATHANOS, P.A., H.C. BOSSIN, M.Q. BENEDICT, F. CATTERUCCIA, C.A. MALCOLM, L. ALPHEY and A. CRISANTI (2009). Sex separation strategies: past experience and new approaches. Malaria Journal 8(Suppl 2):S5.

Year

2008

Description

HELINSKI, M.E.H., A.G. PARKER and B.G.J. KNOLS (2006). Radiation-induced sterility for pupal and adult stages of the malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis. Malaria Journal 5: 41.

Country/Organization

AUSTRIA

Year

2009

Description

ROBINSON, A.S., B.G.J. KNOLS, G. VOIGT and J. HENDRICHS (2009). Conceptual framework and rationale. Malaria Journal 8(Suppl 2):S1.

Country/Organization

AUSTRIA

Description

KHAN, I., S. SOLIBAN, and J. GILLES. Effect of eggs drying, storage and irradiation on hatch ability, development and flight performance of Anopheles arabiensis (in preparation for Malaria Journal)

Country/Organization

Pakistan

Year

2009

Description

DAME, D.A., C.F. CURTIS, M.Q. BENEDICT, A.S. ROBINSON and B.G.J. KNOLS (2009). Historical applications of induced sterilisation in field populations of mosquitoes. Malaria Journal. 8(Suppl 2):S2.

Year

2009

Description

EL SAYED, B.B., C.A. MALCOLM, A. BABIKER, E.M. MALIK, M.A.H. EL TAYEB, N.S. SAEED, A.H.D. NUGUD and B.G.J. KNOLS (2009). Stakeholders first: ethical, legal and social aspects of the approach in Sudan. Malaria Journal 8(Suppl 2):S3.

Country/Organization

Sudan

Year

2009

Description

MALCOLM, C.A., B.B. EL SAYED, A. BABIKER, R. GIROD, D. FONTENILLE, B.G.J. KNOLS, A.H. NUGUD and M.Q. BENEDICT (2009). Field site selection: getting it right first time round. Malaria Journal 8(Suppl 2):S9.

Country/Organization

UK

Year

2007

Description

MALCOLM, C.A., D.A. WELSBY and B.B. EL SAYED (2007) "SIT for the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis in Northern State, Sudan: an historical review of the field site", Area-Wide Control of Insect Pests. From Research to Field Implementation (VREYSEN, M.J.B., ROBINSON, A.S., HENDRICHS, J., Eds.), Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands 361-372.

Year

2011

Description

OLIVA C. F., M. Q BENEDICT, G. LEMPÉRIÈRE and J. GILLES (2011). Laboratory selection for an accelerated mosquito sexual development rate. Malaria Journal 10:135.

Country/Organization

AUSTRIA

Year

2010

Description

BELLINI, R., A. ALBIERI, F. BALESTRINO, M. CARRIERI, D. PORRETTA, S. URBANELLI, M. CALVITTI, R. MORETTI and S. MAINI (2010). Dispersal and survival of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) males in Italian urban areas and significance for sterile insect technique application. Journal of Medical Entomology 47(6): 1082-1091.

Country/Organization

Italy

Year

2005

Description

NG'HABI, K.R., B. JOHN, G. NKWENGULILA, B.G.J. KNOLS, G.F. KILLEEN, and H.M. FERGUSON (2005) Effect of larval crowding on mating competitiveness of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. Malaria Journal 4: 49.

Country/Organization

Tanzania

Year

2007

Description

KNOLS, B.G., BOSSIN, H.C., MUKABANA, W.R., and A.S., ROBINSON (2007). Transgenic mosquitoes and the fight against malaria: managing technology push in a turbulent GMO world, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 77 (6): 232-42.

Country/Organization

AUSTRIA

Year

2009

Description

HELINSKI, M.E.H., A.G. PARKER and B.G.J. KNOLS (2009). Radiation biology of mosquitoes. Malaria Journal 8(Suppl 2):S6.

Year

2007

Description

BELLINI, R., M. CALVITTI, A. MEDICI, M. CARRIERI, G. CELLI, and S. MAINI (2007). Use of the Sterile Insect Technique against Aedes albopictus in Italy: First Results of a Pilot Trial, pp. 505-515. In Vreysen, M.J.B., A.S. Robinson, and J. Hendrichs (Eds.), Area-Wide Control of Insect Pests: From Research to Field Implementation. Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands.

Country/Organization

Italy

Description

KHAN, I., A. FARID and ALAMZEB (2011). Development of inexpensive and globally available larval and adult diets for rearing Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. Entomologia Experimentalis Applicata (submitted)

Country/Organization

Pakistan

Year

2009

Description

BENEDICT, M.Q., B.G.J. KNOLS, H.C. BOSSIN, P.I. HOWELL, E. MIALHE, C. CÁCERES and A.S. ROBINSON (2009). Colonization and mass rearing: learning from others. Malaria Journal 8(Suppl 2):S4.

Country/Organization

USA

Year

2011

Description

GILLES, J., R.S. LEES, S.M. SOLIBAN and M.Q. BENEDICT (2011). Density dependence effects in experimental larval populations of Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae) can be negative, neutral or over compensatory depending on density and diet levels. Journal of Medical Entomology 48:296-304.

Country/Organization

Austria

Year

2006

Description

HELINSKI, M.E.H., B. EL-SAYED and B.G.J. KNOLS (2006). The Sterile Insect Technique: can established technology beat malaria? Entomologische Berichten 66: 13-20.

Year

2011

Description

BOYER, S., J. GILLES, D. MERANCIENNE, G. LEMPERIERE, and D. FONTENILLE. Sexual performance of male mosquito Aedes albopictus. Medical and Veterinary Entomology (in press).

Country/Organization

France

Year

2009

Description

BENEDICT, M.Q., R.C. HOOD-NOWOTNY, P.I. HOWELL and E.E. WILKINS (2009). Methylparaben in Anopheles gambiae s.l. sugar meals increases longevity and malaria oocyst abundance but is not a preferred diet. Journal of Insect Physiology 55:197-204.

Country/Organization

USA

Year

2011

Description

CHAMBERS E.W., L. HAPAIRAI, B.A. PEEL, H. BOSSIN and S. DOBSON (2011). Male mating competitiveness of a wolbachia-introgressed Aedes polynesiensis strain under semi-field conditions. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 5(8): e1271. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0001271.

Country/Organization

USA

Year

2009

Description

HELINSKI, M.E.H., and B.G.J. KNOLS (2009). The influence of late-stage pupal irradiation and increased irradiated: un-irradiated male ratio on mating competitiveness of the malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis Patton. Bulletin of Entomological Research 99:317-322.

Year

2008

Description

HELINSKI, M.E. and B.G.J. KNOLS (2008) Mating competitiveness of male Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes irradiated with a partially- or fully-sterilizing dose in small and large laboratory cages. Journal of Medical Entomology 45, 698-705.

Year

2009

Description

HOWELL, P., and B.G.J. KNOLS (2009). Male mating biology. Malaria Journal 8(Suppl 2):S8.

Country/Organization

USA

Year

2010

Description

BALESTRINO, F., A. MEDICI, G. CANDINI, M. CARRIERE, B. MACCAGNANI, M. CALVITTI, S. MAINI and R. BELLINI (2010). Gamma ray dosimetry and mating capacity studies in the laboratory on Aedes albopictus males. Journal of Medical Entomology 47(4):581-591.

Country/Organization

Italy

Year

2011

Description

GOUAGNA, LC. JS. DEHECQ, R. GIROD, S. BOYER, G. LEMPERIERE and D. FONTENILLE (2011). Spatial and temporal distribution patterns of Anopheles arabiensis breeding sites in La Reunion Island - multi-year trend analysis of historical records from 1996-2009. Parasites & Vectors. 4:121.

Country/Organization

FRANCE

Year

2009

Description

CALVITTI M., R. MORETTI, D. PORRETTA, R. BELLINI, and S. URBANELLI (2009). Effects on male fitness of removing Wolbachia infections from the mosquito Aedes albopictus. Medical and Veterinary Entomology 23: 132140

Country/Organization

Italy

Year

2011

Description

MEDICI, A., M. CARRIERI, E.-J. SCHOLTE, B. MACCAGNANI, M.L. DINDO, R.BELLINI (2011). Studies on Aedes albopictus larval mass-rearing optimization. Journal of Economic Entomology 104(1): 266-273; DOI: 10.1603/EC10108

Country/Organization

Italy

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