The sex pheromone heptacosane enhances the mating competitiveness of sterile Aedes aegypti males
Background
Aedes aegypti is a vector that transmits various viral diseases, including dengue and Zika. The radiation-based sterile insect technique (SIT) has a limited effect on mosquito control because of the difficulty in irradiating males without reducing their mating competitiveness. In this study, the insect sex pheromone heptacosane was applied to Ae. aegypti males to investigate whether it could enhance the mating competitiveness of irradiated males. The sex pheromone heptacosane enhanced the interaction between Ae. aegypti males and females. Perfuming males irradiated by X-rays or γ-rays with heptacosane led to a significant increase in mating competitiveness. This study provided a new idea for improving the application effect of SIT.
Wang, L. M., Li, N., Zhang, M., Tang, Q., Lu, H. Z., Zhou, Q. Y., … & Deng, S. Q. (2023). The sex pheromone heptacosane enhances the mating competitiveness of sterile Aedes aegypti males. Parasites & Vectors, 16(1), 1-9.