Growth rate and oviposition preference of Oc. togoi & Ae. albopictus in salinity stress

Ochlerotatus togoi is a salt-tolerant euryhaline mosquito that lays its eggs in rock pools. Although it is a pest that transmits flaviviruses and filarial worms to humans, ecological studies have not been actively conducted because of its limited habitat. Rising sea levels have created a favorable environment for Oc. togoi to survive; additionally, the incidence of  Oc. togoi-borne diseases may increase with an increase in population of Oc. togoi. We examined oviposition and growth rates in the range of 0–35 psu to obtain ecological data for Oc. togoi. Ochlerotatus togoi exhibited the highest oviposition preference at 0 psu; however, the hatching rate was highest at 10 psu, the pupation rate was highest at 25 psu, and the emergence rate was highest at 5 psu. Ochlerotatus togoi showed the highest rate of growth into adults at 25 psu. The results were verified for statistical significance using Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis H tests (post hoc test: Bonferroni), and a regression equatio..., 1. Collection and Classification
Samples of Oc. togoi were collected from Geoje, Jeju, and Pohang, South Korea. Larvae were collected from stagnant water of artificial structures or rock pools near the coast (Table 1). The collected samples were classified according to the salinity of the habitat, and transferred to the insectary (temperature 27°C ± 1°C, humidity 70%, L:D = 12:12) of the Animal Systematics & Taxonomy Laboratory of Kyungpook National University. They were raised under the same salinity in insectary as the salinity at the collection points. The hatched adults were then used for the oviposition preference experiment and the eggs laid by the adults were used for growth rate experiments. The collected Oc. togoi were morphologically classified according to the taxonomic keys described previously (Lee, 1987; Ree, 2003). Molecular identification (forward primer: 5′-AGG ACA CAT GAA CAC CCA CA-3′; reverse primer: 5′-AGG CGG TGG AGT GTA TGG-3′) was performed as described previ...,