Sperm Storage and Use Following Multiple Insemination in Aedes albopictus: Encouraging Insights for the Sterile Insect Technique

The key to success in the application of the sterile insect technique (SIT) relies on the ability of released, sterile males to outcompete their fertile wild male counterparts to mate with wild females. However, many insect species exhibit multiple-mating behavior, which can be a way for females to...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Insects (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2024-09, Vol.15 (9), p.721
Main Authors: Yamada, Hanano, Hood-Nowotny, Rebecca, Resch, Christian, Bouyer, Jeremy, Gruber, Roman, Oliva, Clelia F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aedes albopictus
Animal reproduction
Aquatic insects
Culicidae
Disease transmission
Eggs
Females
Fertilization
Insects
Isotopes
Male sterility
Males
Mating behavior
Methods
Mosquitoes
Offspring
Paternity
Pattern analysis
Pest control
SIT
Sperm
Sperm competition
sperm selection
Spermatozoa
Stable isotopes
sterile males
Sterility
Sterilized organisms
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The key to success in the application of the sterile insect technique (SIT) relies on the ability of released, sterile males to outcompete their fertile wild male counterparts to mate with wild females. However, many insect species exhibit multiple-mating behavior, which can be a way for females to select paternity for their progeny. This study aims to recognize the consequences of potential double-matings during an SIT program and to detect any evidence of sperm selection favoring sperm from fertile mates. This report provides a descriptive analysis of the storage and use of sperm by female Stable isotopes were used to mark the sperm of fertile and sterile males. Mated females were allowed to oviposit before dissecting the spermathecae to link the presence of each type of sperm to the sterility of the eggs laid. It was found that sperm in females inseminated by both males was distributed in the three spermathecae with no obvious pattern, mostly mixed but also separately, and no evidence of any mechanism for sperm selection, sperm precedence, or sperm competition in females could be found. The fact that only a few double-mated females were double-inseminated and could also produce semi-sterile eggs, together with the finding that the sperm of sterile males appeared to be no less viable than that of fertile males, is an encouraging outcome for SIT approaches.
ISSN:2075-4450
2075-4450
DOI:10.3390/insects15090721