Simulated adult control on laboratory larval mesocosms demonstrates overcompensation in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

Mortality events can affect populations in counterintuitive ways leading to compensation or overcompensation when density-dependent effects are present. These phenomena occur in a variety of taxa and are particularly important to understand for the management of commercial species, the conservation of endangered species, and the control of arthropod pests. Using a mesocosm experimental design, we simulated different levels of adult control by altering larval densities (i.e. via the simulated mortality event) to assess mortality effects in Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae). Various larval densities were placed in containers with 500 mL water and given the same amount of food per container, resulting in different food to larvae ratios. A segmented liner analysis approach was used to determine the response of the mosquitoes to starting larval densities. We found that overcompensation occurred with the most adults produced at medium levels of mortality. Adult production and development had a non-linear relationship with food per larvae. Wing length and percent survival showed significant variation from linear relationships across starting larval densities. Our results suggest that medium densities of Ae. aegypti larvae, simulating medium levels of control, will produce the most adult females with a relatively large body size. Control efforts for Ae. aegypti should take the potential of density-dependent effects into account in planning and analysis stages to ensure overcompensation does not result.