This proposal has three long-term goals: 1) to determine relatedness, based on selected phenotypes, of world-wide geographic populations of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae), 2) to establish an integrated multiple method approach for the study of vector population variability, and 3) to provide research experiences for undergraduate students interested in health professions. The first long-term goal has the immediate research objectives to: 1) chemically characterize by capillary gas chromatography - electron impact mass spectrometry the major (compounds greater than 0.5% relative abundance) cuticular hydrocarbon components of Ae. albopictus, 2) quantitatively characterize, using capillary gas chromatography, the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of Ae. albopictus in terms of geographic relatedness, 3) determine the genetic basis of the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of Ae. albopictus, and 4) compare population and genetic relatedness based on hydrocarbons with morphometric shape analysis and electrophoresis methods. The population relationships of introduced Ae. albopictus is of considerable importance in interpreting the public health impact of this species in North America. This research program will focus on basic questions that would be applicable to understanding the importation of other vector and pest species. These questions involve 'site of origin, population relatedness, biogeographic variability, and the isolation of unique geographically specific genotypic/phenotypic characters.
| Kruger, E L; Pappas, C D (1993) Geographic variation of cuticular hydrocarbons among fourteen populations of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae). J Med Entomol 30:544-8 |
