Male competition and the evolution of mating and life history traits in experimental populations of Aedes aegypti

Aedes aegypti is an important disease vector and a major target of reproductive control efforts. We manipulated the opportunity for sexual selection in populations of Ae. aegypti by controlling the number of males competing for a single female. Populations exposed to higher levels of male competition rapidly evolved higher male competitive mating success relative to populations evolved in the absence of competition, with an evolutionary response visible after only five generations. We also detected correlated evolution in other important mating and life history traits, such as acoustic signalling, fecundity and body size. Our results indicate that there is ample segregating variation for determinants of male mating competitiveness in wild populations and that increased male mating success trades-off with other important life history traits. The mating conditions imposed on laboratory-reared mosquitoes are likely a significant determinant of male mating success in populations destined f...

埃及伊蚊（Aedes aegypti）是一类重要的疾病传播媒介，同时也是生殖防控工作的核心靶标物种。本研究通过控制单头雌蚊对应的雄蚊竞争数量，调控埃及伊蚊种群的性选择机会。相较于无竞争环境下演化的种群，经历更高水平雄蚊竞争的种群，其雄蚊的竞争性交配成功率快速提升，仅经过5代即可观察到演化响应。本研究还检测到其他重要交配与生活史性状出现协同演化，包括声学信号、繁殖力以及体型大小。研究结果表明，野生种群中雄蚊交配竞争力的决定因子存在充足的分离变异，且雄蚊交配成功率的提升会与其他重要生活史性状产生演化权衡。实验室饲养蚊虫所采用的交配条件，可能是决定目标种群雄蚊交配成功率的关键因素之一，其[...]