Zinc finger protein (Zelda) of Tribolium castaneum (TcZelda) has been showed to play pivotal roles in embryonic development and metamorphosis. However, the regulatory mechanism of TcZelda associated with these physiology processes is unclear. Herein, the developmental expression profile showed that Zelda of T. castaneum was highly expressed in early eggs. Tissue expression profiling revealed that TcZelda was mainly expressed in the larval head and adult ovary of late adults and late larvae. TcZelda knockdown led to a 95% mortality rate in adults. These results suggested that TcZelda is related to the activation of the zygote genome in early embryonic development. Furthermore, 592 differentially expressed genes were identified from the dsZelda treated group. Compared with the control group, altered disjunction (ALD) and AGAP005368-PA (GAP) in the dsZelda group were significantly down-regulated, while TGF-beta, propeptide (TGF) was significantly up-regulated, suggesting that TcZelda may be involved in insect embryonic development. In addition, the expression of Ubx ultrabithorax (UBX), Cx cephalothorax (CX), En engrailed (EN), and two Endocuticle structural glycoprotein sgabd (ABD) genes were significantly down-regulated, suggesting that they may cooperate with TcZelda to regulate the development of insect wings. Additionally, Elongation (ELO), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and fatty acyl-CoA desaturase (FAD) expression was inhibited in dsZelda insects, which could disturb the lipase signaling pathways, thus, disrupting the insect reproductive system and pheromone synthesis. These results may help reveal the function of TcZelda in insects and the role of certain genes in the gene regulatory network and provide new ideas for the prevention and control of T. castaneum.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hosts several species of aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), Aphis craccivora Koch and Therioaphis trifolii (Monell). The preference of the aphids of alfalfa plants for dense assemblies or individual plants, as well as for healthy or infested plants, was investigated in the field as in the laboratory. Years of field research have revealed the specific preferences of all three species of aphid. A. pisum and T. trifolii are most commonly found in alfalfa crops, while A. craccivora is mostly found on alfalfa weeds. Also, a single species of aphid alone is usually present on a plant. In order to determine the reason for this clear preference and to establish whether at the very beginning, i.e. at the stage of choosing a host, aphid species distance themselves from each other, we tested the effect of the volatiles of healthy and infested plants on their attractiveness to aphids. A. craccivora is repelled by the volatiles of dense crops and plants previously infested with one of the other two species. A. pisum and T. trifolii choose a dense assembly of plants, repelled by the volatiles of plants previously infested with A. craccivora. A. pisum displays the weakest competitive traits, and A. craccivora the strongest. This research showed that competition between aphid species does not occur only when they find themselves on the same plant at the same time, fighting for resources, but also in the choice of plant, in order to avoid later competition.

The likelihood of parasitoids establishing in new geographic regions depends upon the availability of suitable host species. Identifying these hosts and the degree of their suitability is particularly important when they include species that are economically important as pests. In laboratory studies, we examined the suitability of 47 species of Lepidoptera as potential hosts of a parthenogenetic strain of the gregarious parasitoid Cotesia vanessae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Previously known from Eurasia and northern Africa, the first known recovery of C. vanessae in North America was in 2009. C. vanessae completed development in 34 species, of which three were known hosts (Noctuidae) and 31 (30 Noctuidae, 1 Nymphalidae) were not. Many of these noctuid species are economic pests. Parasitoid fitness was generally highest on species of Plusiinae (Noctuidae), measured as either percentage of successful parasitism, developmental time, or number and mass of F1 progeny. Closely related species were generally similar in their suitability as hosts. In some cases, parasitoid eggs or larvae were killed by the immune system of the parasitized host, but the host eventually failed to excrete food waste, did not pupate, and ultimately died. Such cases reached up to 100% mortality depending upon the lepidopteran species. The suitability of many species of noctuid pests as hosts for C. vanessae suggests that this parasitoid will become established widely throughout North America and may help to suppress populations of some pest species.

Effective early detection, monitoring and management methods are critical for reducing the impacts of insect pests in agriculture and forestry. Combining host plant volatiles with sex pheromones could enhance trapping methodologies, whilst the use of non-host volatiles could improve the effectiveness of pest management through repellency effects. In this meta-analysis approach, we analysed 51 studies that used electroantennograms (EAG), wind tunnels and/or field traps to evaluate the antennal and behavioural responses of Lepidoptera to sex pheromones combined with attractant or repellent plant volatiles. Proposed attractant plant volatiles had a positive association with female Lepidoptera responses to sex pheromone, but effects on males were highly variable, with unexpected repellency reported in some studies. Proposed repellent plant volatiles were significantly or near-significantly negatively associated with male attraction to sex pheromones but were scarcely studied. Sub-group analysis identified that male responses to sex pheromone were reduced when the dose of attractant plant volatile relative to sex pheromone was increased. Green-leaf volatiles were associated with the strongest positive effects for males in field traps. Multiple-compound attractant plant volatile blends were less effective than single compounds in field studies. Our analysis demonstrates, (i) the potential value of combining host plant volatiles with sex pheromones to capture females rather than only males, (ii) the importance of identifying appropriate host plant volatiles and optimal relative doses, and (iii) the potential for non-host plant volatile use in pest management strategies.

Ips typographus (L.) and Pityogenes chalcographus (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are two common bark beetle species on Norway spruce in Eurasia. Multiple biotic and abiotic factors affect the life cycles of these two beetles, shaping their ecology and evolution. In this article, we provide a comprehensive and comparative summary of selected life-history traits. We highlight similarities and differences in biotic factors, like host range, interspecific competition, host colonization, reproductive behaviour and fungal symbioses. Moreover, we focus on the species' responses to abiotic factors and compare their temperature-dependent development and flight behaviour, cold adaptations and diapause strategies. Differences in biotic and abiotic traits might be the result of recent, species-specific evolutionary histories, particularly during the Pleistocene, with differences in glacial survival and postglacial recolonization. Finally, we discuss future research directions to understand ecological and evolutionary pathways of the two bark beetle species, for both basic research and applied forest management.

Juvenile hormone (JH) plays a pivotal role in almost every aspect of insect development and reproduction. The chemical structure of the JH in heteropteran species has long remained elusive until methyl (2R,3S,10R)-2,3;10,11-bisepoxyfarnesoate, commonly named as juvenile hormone III skipped bisepoxide (JHSB3), was isolated from Plautia stali (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Recently, several groups reported the presence of JHSB3 in other heteropteran species. However, most of the studies paid no attention to the determination of the relative and absolute structure of the JH. In this study, we investigated the JH of the cabbage bug Eurydema rugosa (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), known as a pest for wild and cultivated crucifers. JHSB3 was detected in the hexane extract from the corpus allatum (CA) product using a chiral ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS) which can inform the absolute stereochemistry of the JH. Its stereoisomers were not detected. Topical application of the synthetic JHSB3 to the last instar nymphs inhibited their metamorphosis and induced nymphal-type colouration of the dorsal abdomen in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, the topical application of JHSB3 effectively terminated summer and winter diapauses in females. These results indicate that the JH of E. rugosa is JHSB3. Although individuals in summer and winter diapauses are physiologically distinct in E. rugosa, the results suggest that the physiological differences between these diapauses are based, not on the responsiveness to JH, but on the processes governing activation of the CA or on its upstream cascades.

In this era of global climate change, intrinsic rapid and evolutionary responses of invasive agricultural pests to thermal variability are of concern given the potential implications on their biogeography and dire consequences on human food security. For insects, chill coma recovery time (CCRT) and critical thermal minima (CTmin), the point at which neuromuscular coordination is lost following cold exposure, remain good indices for cold tolerance. Using laboratory-reared Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), we explored cold tolerance repeated exposure across life stages of this invasive insect pest. Specifically, we measured their CTmin and CCRT across four consecutive assays, each 24 h apart. In addition, we assessed body water content (BWC) and body lipid content (BLC) of the life stages. Our results showed that CTmin improved with repeated exposure in 5th instar larvae, virgin males and females while CCRT improved in 4th, 5th and 6th instar larvae following repeated cold exposure. In addition, the results revealed evidence of cold hardening in this invasive insect pest. However, there was no correlation between cold tolerance and BWC as well as BLC. Our results show capacity for cold hardening and population persistence of S. frugiperda in cooler environments. This suggests potential of fall armyworm (FAW) to withstand considerable harsh winter environments typical of its recently invaded geographic range in sub-Saharan Africa.

The ecological function played by the coprophagous insects is an important issue in livestock production contexts. The role of this fauna, specially dung beetles, provides benefits to both rangelands and production performance. This interaction has been studied and reported in many scientific articles, in very different places and with diverse production contexts. However, a comprehensive review of the relationship between coprophagous insects and livestock production is still lacking. We reviewed the research studies on this topic during the past five decades, with a focus in Scarabaeidae taxon and livestock production, in order to identify further research priorities. We analysed 435 research articles. The main results were: (I) studies were mostly located in temperate broadleaf forest biome, whereas arid environments were less studied; (II) Production practices impacts category was the most studied, for which the effects produced by antiparasitic products on the coprophagous insects (n = 93; 21% of total revised articles) was the topics with major number of articles. Followed was Biology category (n = 69; 16%), then in Ecosystem function category the most frequent studies were on dung removal (n = 40; 9%), whereas in the Ecosystem Services category the most frequent studies were on biological control (n = 28; 6%); (III) Australia, Mexico, Brazil, and United States were the countries with most research articles. We identified some knowledge gaps on relevant ecological functions of this fauna, in relation to benefits to livestock production. There is a need for future research on nutrient cycling, bioturbation, effects on primary production and vegetation diversity.

Eupeodes corollae (F.) (Diptera: Syrphidae) is the most abundant syrphid fly which is distributed worldwide and is the sole predator of aphids. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the predation rate and functional response of E. corollae against the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.). The experiment was carried out under laboratory conditions at 25 ± 2°C with 60–70% relative humidity. The results revealed that age-specific net predation rate (qx) increased after the 4th day and a peak was recorded on the 10th day of pivotal age in the third larval instar. The stable host kill rate and finite host kill rate of E. corollae were 18.63 and 21.07, respectively, against the B. brassicae and predicted that a mean of 20.78 aphids was needed for E. corollae to produce one offspring. A negative linear coefficient (P < 0) indicated the type II functional response for all larval instars of E. corollae against the B. brassicae. At higher prey density, the prey consumption was significantly at par with second and third instar larvae of E. corollae as the prey consumption was increased with increasing the prey density, which then decreased after attaining the upper asymptote (76.40 and 81.40% consumption, respectively). The Roger's predator random equation for type II functional response was fitted to estimate attack rate (a) and handling time (Th). The maximum prey consumption was recorded for third instar of E. corollae with a higher attack rate (0.336 h−1) and lower handling time (0.514 h) against B. brassicae, followed by the second and first instar. Thus, it is concluded that the third larval instar of E. corollae was the voracious feeder and used as an efficient biocontrol agent in the IPM programme.

The success of agriculture relies on healthy bees to pollinate crops. Commercially managed pollinators are often kept under temperature-controlled conditions to better control development and optimize field performance. One such pollinator, the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata, is the most widely used solitary bee in agriculture. Problematically, very little is known about the thermal physiology of M. rotundata or the consequences of artificial thermal regimes used in commercial management practices. Therefore, we took a broad look at the thermal performance of M. rotundata across development and the effects of commonly used commercial thermal regimes on adult bee physiology. After the termination of diapause, we hypothesized thermal sensitivity would vary across pupal metamorphosis. Our data show that bees in the post-diapause quiescent stage were more tolerant of low temperatures compared to bees in active development. We found that commercial practices applied during development decrease the likelihood of a bee recovering from another bout of thermal stress in adulthood, thereby decreasing their resilience. Lastly, commercial regimes applied during development affected the number of days to adult emergence, but the time of day that adults emerged was unaffected. Our data demonstrate the complex interactions between bee development and thermal regimes used in management. This knowledge can help improve the commercial management of these bees by optimizing the thermal regimes used and the timing of their application to alleviate negative downstream effects on adult performance.

Chrysoperla species include well-known predators of aphids and other soft-bodied arthropods. As such, they are considered important biological control agents of herbivorous pests in agroecosystems where many of green lacewings species occur. Despite the high number of species of the genus Chrysoperla, only a few have been assessed for the predation efficiency of their larvae against pests infesting plants, and even fewer are currently marketed for use in biocontrol practice. Difficulties in species identification within the Chrysoperla carnea complex species in particular has been related to varying success of commercial C. carnea s.l. releases in the field. In this study, we assessed the ability of two Chrysoperla species, Chrysoperla agilis a member of the carnea cryptic species group, and Chrysoperla mutata of the pudica group to consume aphid and mealybug individuals and suppress their populations in sweet pepper plants. We found that third-instar larvae of both species were able to consume a high number of aphids (approximately 120 nymphs per larva) and mealybugs (approximately 105 nymphs per larva) within 24 h. Furthermore, the release of second-instar larvae of both C. agilis and C. mutata was shown to be remarkably efficient in suppressing the pest populations in long-term greenhouse experiments. Aphid populations were suppressed by approximately 98% and mealybugs by 78% as compared to control plants. Our results highlight the predation efficiency and the biocontrol potential of two widespread Chrysoperla species for their use in pest control.

The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a univoltine species that overwinters at pupal stage. Under optimum overwintering conditions pupae will develop into adults the next spring. Shorter or longer than optimum chilling periods induce prolonged pupae dormancy. Pupae that enter prolonged dormancy due to a short chilling period exhibit high emergence rates after a second cycle of cold/warm periods. Adults found to be larger and less fecund compared to their counterparts from pupae with annual diapause. On the other hand, extreme long chilling periods at pupal stage results in high mortality rates. However, for one Greek population, a substantial number of adults emerged following prolonged chilling of pupae (ca. 18 consecutive months). In this study, we used three R. cerasi populations in order to address possible geographical variation in fitness cost of adults from pupae with prolonged dormancy. In addition, the fitness traits of these adults emerging after prolonged pupae chilling were compared with that of their counterparts from pupae with annual diapause or prolonged dormancy. Our results reveal no population-specific variation in fitness cost of adults from pupae with prolonged dormancy. Within a population, lifetime fecundity did not differ between adults emerged from pupae with prolonged dormancy and those emerged after prolonged pupae chilling. Adults emerged from pupae exposed to prolonged chilling suffer an additional reduction in adult longevity compared to adults from pupae with prolonged dormancy. Hence, fitness of R. cerasi adults is regulated by diapause regimes of pupae.

Mosquito surveillance programmes are essential to assess the risks of local vector-borne disease outbreaks as well as for early detection of mosquito invasion events. Surveys are usually performed with traditional sampling tools (i.e., ovitraps and dipping method for immature stages or light or decoy traps for adults). Over the past decade, numerous studies have highlighted that environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling can enhance invertebrate species detection and provide community composition metrics. However, the usefulness of eDNA for detection of mosquito species has, to date, been largely neglected. Here, we sampled water from potential larval breeding sites along a gradient of anthropogenic perturbations, from the core of an oil palm plantation to the rainforest on São Tomé Island (Gulf of Guinea, Africa). We showed that (i) species of mosquitoes could be detected via metabarcoding mostly when larvae were visible, (ii) larvae species richness was greater using eDNA than visual identification and (iii) new mosquito species were also detected by the eDNA approach. We provide a critical discussion of the pros and cons of eDNA metabarcoding for monitoring mosquito species diversity and recommendations for future research directions that could facilitate the adoption of eDNA as a tool for assessing insect vector communities.

The aim was to evaluate the effect of different energy diets available in adulthood on the longevity, dispersal capacity and sexual performance of Aedes aegypti produced under a mass-rearing system. To evaluate the effects of diets in relation to the survival of the adult male insects of Ae. aegypti, six treatments were used: sucrose at a concentration of 10%, as a positive control (sack10); starvation, as a negative control (starvation); sucrose at a concentration of 20% associated with 1 g/l of ascorbic acid (sac20vitC); wild honey in a concentration of 10% (honey10); demerara sugar in a 10% concentration (demerara10); and sucrose at a concentration of 20% associated with 1 g/l of ascorbic acid and 0.5 g/l of amino acid proline (sac20vitCPr). Each treatment had 16 cages containing 50 adult males. For the tests of flight ability and propensity to copulation, five treatments were used (saca10; sac20vitC; mel10; demerara10; and sac20vitCPr), with males each for flight ability and females copulated by a single male for copulation propensity. The diet composed of sucrose at a concentration of 20% associated with ascorbic acid, as an antioxidant, improved the survival, flight ability and propensity to copulate in Ae. aegypti males under mass-rearing conditions, and may be useful to enhance the performance of sterile males, thus improving the success of sterile insect technique programmes.

Crop phenological studies are vital in the formulation of effective integrated pest management packages. A 2-year phenological study spanning 2017–2019 was conducted in eight mango orchards in the transition zone of Ghana, to determine the relationship between the aggregation of culprit fruit fly species and the phenology of the mango crop. A total of 160 shoots were tagged and observed weekly for the plant's developmental processes using the Biologische Bundesantalt, Bundessortenamt and Chemische Industrie mango phenological scale as a guide. Fruit fly monitoring was conducted with two para pheromone attractants (methyl eugenol and terpinyl acetate) in 32 improvised traps. Host fruits sampled at colour break and ripe stages were incubated to identify culprit species. Significant infestation levels were assessed with one way analysis of variance. Three culprit species (Bactrocera dorsalis, Ceratitis cosyra and Ceratitis ditissima) emerged from incubated fruits. Co-infestation between B. dorsalis and C. cosyra was observed mostly at colour break. A residual population of B. dorsalis was observed throughout the crop cycle but peaked at the colour break phenological stage in May and early June, and dropped in August (at post-harvest). The interaction among fruit fly species, season, fruit source and phenological stage of the fruit was significant (P = 0.016). C. cosyra appeared at the beginning of anthesis, increased during flowering to fruit set and peaked in April when fruits were nearing maturity and green. It is therefore important that management practices are implemented throughout the phenological cycle of the crop but intensified from anthesis to post-harvest to reduce pest populations and damage.

Parasitoids are an important group of insects because their species number is among the highest. Multiple studies have addressed the relationships between forest successional age and insect diversity by focusing on herbivorous organisms, but changes in diversity of parasitoids are still poorly known. This work analyses the diversity of parasitoids in tropical forests representing three successional stages. A total of 30 traps were placed, ten in each forest successional stages. We estimated true diversity of Ichneumonidae species and guilds and explored the relationship between their diversity and the abundance of plant species using an Indicator Species Analysis; the relationship between parasitoid species and plant richness and abundance was tested using a Redundancy Analysis. A total of 1522 individuals and 168 morpho-species were captured in four months. Species richness showed no differences; however, parasitoid abundance was higher in young forest, while intermediate forest had the highest true diversity values (1D) with 71.6 effective species. According to insect guilds, richness, abundance, and diversity were similar in the three vegetation successional stages. This finding may be explained based on the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, which postulates that moderate disturbance levels favor the highest diversity. In conclusion, successional age matters, i.e., diversity is the highest in intermediate stages, while the old forests harbors guilds unique to that successional stage, such as parasitoids of melitophagous larvae of bees. Other successional stages were characterized by a single species of parasitoid, belonging to the genera Eiphosoma and Anomalon, which may indicate altered and preserved forests, respectively.

The infestation of the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Africa since 2016 has been a major threat to maize production. Previous studies in Togo and Ghana from 2016 to 2018 did not correlate FAW infestation to yield losses. Thus, the aim of this study which assesses the impact of FAW infestation by inspecting 150 maize farms throughout the five Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZs) of Togo for FAW plant damage, and third instar larvae were used to infest 10-day-old maize plants in netted plots under controlled conditions at an experiment station (Station d'Expérimentations Agronomiques de Lomé) in 2019 and 2020. As control plots at the experiment station, plots were both netted and treated with emamectin benzoate, simply netted, or open to natural infestation. The number of larvae, egg masses, percent damaged plants, and damage proportions of leaves and ears were scored until harvest. Infestations and damages on maize plant throughout Togo were similar between the two years but were higher in the southern part of the county (AEZ5). At the experiment station, the yield losses were significantly considerable and increased from 25% infestation. The losses were 0.37 t ha−1 for 25% infestation, 0.34 t ha−1 for 30%, 0.59 t ha−1 for the open plots, 0.70 t ha−1 for simple netted and 50% infestation, 1.03 t ha−1 for 75%, and 1.27 t ha−1 for 100% infestation. This current study suggested thorough inspection on maize farms to set off management practices from 25% of infestation.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of growth-regulating insecticides of synthetic (e.g., Certero 480 SC, Intrepid 240 SC, Match EC and Mimic 240 SC) and botanical origins (e.g., Azamax 1.2 EC, Agroneem 850 EC, Azact 2.4 EC and Fitoneem 850 EC) on the biological parameters and fertility life table of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) under laboratory conditions. Larvae were fed insecticides that were incorporated into artificial diets. To develop the fertility life table, the following biological parameters were evaluated: survival at 7 days after infestation (d.a.i) and survivorship at adult eclosion, duration of the neonate-to-adult eclosion period, larval and pupal weights and total fecundity (number of total eggs per female). The results indicated that S. frugiperda neonates surviving LC25 or LC50 concentrations of the evaluated insecticides showed longer larval and egg-to-adult periods, lower larval and pupal weights and reduced fecundity, when compared to the control treatment. Larvae exposed to Azamax at LC25 or LC50 concentrations showed the greatest increase in generation duration (75 d). In addition, S. frugiperda adults emerged from pupae when larvae reared on an artificial diet containing growth regulating insecticides of synthetic and botanical origins produced fewer females per female per generation (Ro). As well as, lower rates of natural population increase per day (rm) compared to insects fed the control diet. Our findings indicated that, neem-derived products and growth-regulating insecticides of synthetic origin may be employed within integrated management strategies that aim to keep populations of S. frugiperda below levels that cause economic damage. Similarly, they offer alternatives for insecticide resistance management programs.

Korean pine is an economically essential afforestation species limited by the unreasonable collection of cones, indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides and pest damage. This study aimed to determine whether spraying bacterial or fungal solutions affected insect pests, cone development, and the seed quality of Korean pine Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc. The experiment was conducted in a forest plantation in Linkou County (Heilongjiang, China) in 2019. Four fungal strains and one bacterial strain were applied during the flowering phase of Korean pine. The results after a year and a half of study indicated that a high concentration of Bacillus thuringiensis 223176 promoted cone development, increased seed weight, and reduced the proportion of damaged cones. Under this treatment, there were 15.873% damaged cones; the seed weight reached 0.829 g, and there were 82.738% fully developed cones. Trees treated with the second most effective strain, Beauveria bassiana 122077, had 30.556% damaged cones and an average seed weight of 0.810 g. Leucanicillium antillanum 01 performed the worst in this study. The seed weight was only 0.775 g, and the damaged and fully developed cones were 52.444 and 41.773%, respectively. In summary, spraying bacterial or fungal solutions during the flowering stage of Korean pine positively impacted seed quality and effectively decreased damage by the lepidopteran species that feed on the cones and seeds in this study.

Biological control is one of the methods available for control of Aedes aegypti populations. We used experimental microcosms to evaluate the effects of actual predation and predation risk by dragonfly larvae (Odonata) on larval development, adult longevity, and adult size of Ae. aegypti. We used six treatments: control, removal, variable density cues (Cues VD), fixed density cues (Cues FD), variable density predator (Predator VD), and fixed density predator (Predator FD) (n = 5 each). Predator treatments received one dragonfly larva. Cue treatments were composed of crushed Ae. aegypti larvae released into the microcosm. For the FD treatments, we maintained a larval density of 200 individuals. The average mortality of Ae. aegypti larvae in the Predator VD treatment was used as the standard mortality for the other treatments. Mosquitoes from the Predator VD and Cues VD treatments developed faster, and adults were larger and had greater longevity compared to all other treatments, likely due to the higher food availability from larval density reduction. High larval density negatively affected larval developmental time, adult size, and longevity. Males were less sensitive to density-dependent effects. Results from this study suggest that the presence of predators may lead to the emergence of adult mosquitoes with greater fitness, causing an overall positive effect on Ae. aegypti population growth rates.