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10.25100/socolen.v51i1.12651
Submitted: 02-12-2022
Published: 20-03-2025

Effect of six diets during the larval and adult period of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) under laboratory conditions

Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales «Hugo Pesce-Maxime Kuckynski»
Laboratorio de Salud Pública
Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales «Hugo Pesce-Maxime Kuckynski»
Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales «Hugo Pesce-Maxime Kuckynski»
National University of Engineering
Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana
Keywords: Larval development, diets, vector-borne diseases, body size, survival

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1.
Sinti-Hesse C, Tong-Rios C, Farfán-García MA, Díaz-Soria F, Espinoza J, Zevallos K. Effect of six diets during the larval and adult period of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) under laboratory conditions. Rev. Colomb. Entomol. [Internet]. 2025 Mar. 20 [cited 2026 Oct. 16];51(1). Available from: https://revistacolombianaentomologia.univalle.edu.co/index.php/SOCOLEN/article/view/12651
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Abstract

Rearing the laboratory vector Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae), a disease vector, necessitated diets nutritionally rich in protein and carbohydrates, yet low in fat. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of various diets on larval and adult stages, with a specific focus on wing size. Six diets were compared: CIETROP-CC concentrate, fish-based diets (Nutrafin-NF and Aqua One-AO), carnivore-based diets (Ricocan-RC and Supercat-SC), and brewer's yeast (LV). The development of larval stages was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, while wing length was compared using Mood's median test. The developmental duration from larva to adult was consistent across all six diets, averaging 13 days. Larvae fed LV exhibited a lower survival rate (88 %) compared to the other diets (99%). Female wing size ranged from 2.81 to 2.93 mm, with a mean of 2.88 mm and a standard deviation of 0.12, while male wing size ranged from 2.18 to 2.28 mm, with a mean of 2.23 mm and a standard deviation of 0.17. All diets supported satisfactory larval development, with no significant differences observed in larval survival or developmental duration (P > 0.05). Notably, the CIETROP-CC and commercial diets yielded similar results. These findings indicate that the laboratory-prepared diet exhibited comparable performance to the other five diets in terms of survival and developmental rates. Further analysis will enable the determination of its specific nutritional composition. The results underscore the efficacy of commercial diets in supporting larval.

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1.
Sinti-Hesse C, Tong-Rios C, Farfán-García MA, Díaz-Soria F, Espinoza J, Zevallos K. Effect of six diets during the larval and adult period of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) under laboratory conditions. Rev. Colomb. Entomol. [Internet]. 2025 Mar. 20 [cited 2026 Oct. 16];51(1). Available from: https://revistacolombianaentomologia.univalle.edu.co/index.php/SOCOLEN/article/view/12651
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Copyright (c) 2025 Carmen Sinti-Hesse, Carlos Tong-Rios, Miguel Angel Farfán-García, Fabiola Díaz-Soria, José Espinoza, Karine Zevallos