Dispersal and survival of male and female Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) on Réunion Island.

Abstract : Mouse-baited traps were used to assess the longevity and dispersal of male and female Aedes albopictus by mark-release-recapture at two sites on La Réunion Island. Recapture rate was high, and mosquitoes of both sexes appeared up to 23 d after release. A daily survival probability of approximately 0.95 for males and females, far higher than expected, was estimated from these results. There was evidence that both sexes prefer to follow corridors of vegetation rather than crossing open spaces. Populations of wild mosquitoes had parous and insemination rates indicative of a young population. These results are relevant to future attempts to control this species by sterile insect technology.