AEDES-ALBOPICTUS (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE) EGGS - FIELD SURVIVORSHIP DURING NORTHERN INDIANA WINTERS

Aedes albopictus (Skuse) is an Asian mosquito that recently has colonized North America via used tire transport. Temperate Ae. albopictus populations overwinter as diapausing eggs, but tropical populations cannot diapause. Eggs of tropical (SABAH) and temperate (INDY) Ae. albopictus were obtained in diapause-inducing conditions and placed inside a scrap tire to monitor overwintering survival in northern Indiana during the winters of 1989-1990 and 1990-1991. Diapause eggs of Ae. triseriatus (Say), a native North American mosquito, were included for comparison. Tropical Ae. albopictus from Malaysia did not survive either winter. Temperate Ae. albopictus from Indianapolis, IN, did not survive the winter of 1989-1990, but 78% survived the winter of 1990-1991. In contrast, 92 and 96% of Ae. triseriatus survived the winters of 1989-1990 and 1990-1991, respectively. Neither mean temperature nor absolute minimum temperature (a winter's lowest temperature) accurately predicted Ae. albopictus overwintering survivorship in the field. The possible effect of snow and other insulating materials on the overwintering survivorship of Ae. albopictus eggs is discussed.