USDA-ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology Gainesville, Florida, United States
Abstract: Aedes aegypti is a mosquito known to vector pathogens such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever, which can cause disease in humans and animals. Ae aegypti is also notoriously difficult to control. The use of larvicides and source reduction are good tools to limit Ae. aegypti populations. However, these tools are ineffective when trying to control the mosquitoes in the wide range of cryptic breeding locations it utilizes. An additional tool under development to control Ae. aegypti has been the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). In the past, we have used a Cobalt-60 gamma irradiation source to sterilize male pupae. In this study we examine the effect that radiation has upon male adult Ae. aegypti, collected in Gainesville Florida, irradiated with X-rays. We discuss the differences we have observed from irradiating adults (Gainesville, FL strain) vs. pupae (AMCD strain collected in St. Augustine, FL), X-rays vs. Cobalt-60, and describe compaction methods of male adults in conjunction with X-ray irradiation.
