Effects of temephos and temperature on Wolbachia load and life history traits of Aedes albopictus.

Maternally inherited Wolbachia (gram-negative bacteria) often affect the reproductive fitness of their arthropod hosts and may cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Comparing Wolbachia-infected and uninfected strains of the mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae), we assessed the effects on fitness of two stressors: temperature elevation (25 degrees C vs. 37 degrees C) and exposure to temephos insecticide (concentration range 0.0017-0.0167 mg/L) during larval development. Fitness was measured in terms of life history traits: percentage survival, development time and wing size. Insecticide treatment was associated with reduction in survival rates and wing size in both sexes, but did not affect development time or Wolbachia load. Temperature elevation by 12 degrees C significantly reduced all four bionomic parameters observed in both sexes. Wolbachia density within individual adult mosquitoes was determined by using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on the wsp gene. Both male and female adults had significantly lower densities of Wolbachia after larval rearing at the higher temperature.