Data from: How diverse detrital environments influence nutrient stoichiometry between males and females of the co-occurring container mosquitoes Aedes albopictus, Ae. aegypti, and Culex quinquefasciatus

Allocation patterns of carbon and nitrogen in animals are influenced by food quality and quantity, as well as by inherent metabolic and physiological constraints within organisms. Whole body stoichiometry also may vary between the sexes who differ in development rates and reproductive allocation patterns. In aquatic containers, such as tree holes and tires, detrital inputs, which vary in amounts of carbon and nitrogen, form the basis of the mosquito-dominated food web. Differences in development times and mass between male and female mosquitoes may be the result of different reproductive constraints, which could also influence patterns of nutrient allocation. We examined development time, survival, and adult mass for males and females of three co-occurring species, Aedes albopictus, Ae. aegypti, and Culex quinquefasciatus, across environments with different ratios of animal and leaf detritus. We quantified the contribution of detritus to biomass using stable isotope analysis and measured tissue carbon and nitrogen concentrations among species and between the sexes. Development times were shorter and adults were heavier for Aedes in animal versus leaf-only environments, whereas Culex development times were invariant across detritus types. Aedes displayed similar survival across detritus types whereas C. quinquefasciatus showed decreased survival with increasing leaf detritus. All species had lower values of 15N and 13C in leaf-only detritus compared to animal, however, Aedes generally had lower tissue nitrogen compared to C. quinquefasciatus. There were no differences in the C:N ratio between male and female Aedes, however, Aedes were different than C. quinquefasciatus adults, with male C. quinquefasciatus significantly higher than females. Culex quinquefasciatus was homeostatic across detrital environments. These results allow us to hypothesize an underlying stoichiometric explanation for the variation in performance of different container species under similar detrital environments, and if supported may assist in explaining the production of vector populations in nature.

动物体内碳与氮的分配格局，受食物质量、数量以及生物体内在的代谢与生理约束共同调控。不同性别因发育速率与生殖分配模式存在差异，其全身化学计量学（stoichiometry）特征也可能有所不同。在树洞、轮胎等水生容器生境中，碳氮含量各异的碎屑输入物构成了以蚊类为优势类群的食物网基础。雌雄蚊类的发育时长与成虫体重差异，可能源于不同的生殖约束，而这类约束同样会影响营养分配格局。我们针对三种同域分布的蚊类——白纹伊蚊（Aedes albopictus）、埃及伊蚊（Ae. aegypti）以及尖音库蚊（Culex quinquefasciatus），在动物碎屑与叶片碎屑不同配比的环境中，分别测定了雌雄个体的发育时长、存活率与成虫体重。我们通过稳定同位素分析（stable isotope analysis）量化了碎屑对蚊类生物量的贡献，并测定了不同物种以及雌雄个体的组织碳、氮含量。相较于仅含叶片碎屑的环境，白纹伊蚊在动物碎屑环境中的发育时长更短，成虫体重更大；而尖音库蚊的发育时长则不受碎屑类型的影响。白纹伊蚊的存活率在不同碎屑类型间无显著差异，而尖音库蚊的存活率则随叶片碎屑占比升高而降低。相较于动物碎屑环境，所有物种在仅含叶片碎屑的环境中，其体内15N与13C同位素比值均更低；不过白纹伊蚊的组织氮含量普遍低于尖音库蚊。白纹伊蚊雌雄个体的碳氮比并无显著差异，但白纹伊蚊与尖音库蚊成虫的碳氮比存在差异：尖音库蚊雄虫的碳氮比显著高于雌虫。尖音库蚊在不同碎屑环境中均表现出化学计量稳态性。本研究结果可为相似碎屑环境下不同容器生境蚊类的生存表现差异提供潜在的化学计量学解释，若该解释得到验证，将有助于阐释自然界中媒介蚊类种群的发生机制。