DOI: 10.5061/dryad.n26r0
title: Data from: The effect of larval diet on adult survival, swarming activity and copulation success in male Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

description: Control of Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) populations is vital
 for reducing the transmission of several pervasive human diseases. The
 success of new vector control technologies will be influenced by the
 fitness of laboratory-reared transgenic males. However, there has been
 relatively little published data on how rearing practices influence male
 fitness in Aedes mosquitoes. In the laboratory, the effect of larval food
 availability on adult male fitness was tested, using a range of different
 fitness measures. Larval food availability was demonstrated to be
 positively correlated with adult body size. Larger males survived longer
 and exhibited greater swarming activity. As a consequence, larger males
 may have more mating opportunities in the wild. However, we also found
 that within a swarm larger males did not have an increased likelihood of
 copulating with a female. The outcome of the mating competition
 experiments depended on the methodology used to mark the males. These
 results show that fitness assessment can vary depending on the measure
 analyzed, and the methodology used to determine it. Continued
 investigation into these fitness measures and methodologies, and
 critically, their utility for predicting male performance in the field,
 will increase the efficiency of vector control programs.
description: Swarming
 DataData on number of males
 swarming at each time point in each cageSwarmingData.csvSwarming MaximumMaximum number of males swarming per cage at any time point.Swarming_Maximum.csvMating Data - Paint MethodThis dataset shows the results of the mating competition experiments when using the bulb duster method of marking the mosquitoes. The trial number (T1-T3) is given, and the ID of the males involved. The number before the decimal point indicates the cage number, and the .1, .2 and .3 indicate the order of the matings within the cage. Those males that do not have a decimal point in their ID number did not mate, and solely the cage number is given. The diet of the male and the dust that they were marked with is given. Details on whether they mated (Yes) or not (No) is provided. For those males that mated, the females diet and dust type is also given. The wing-length in mm of both the mated and unmated males is also provided.Mating Data - Bulb Duster MethodThis dataset shows the results of the mating competition experiments when using the bulb duster method of marking the mosquitoes. The trial number (T1-T3) is given, and the ID of the males involved. The number before the decimal point indicates the cage number, and the .1, .2 and .3 indicate the order of the matings within the cage. Those males that do not have a decimal point in their ID number did not mate, and solely the cage number is given. The diet of the male and the dust that they were marked with is given. Details on whether they mated (Yes) or not (No) is provided. For those males that mated, the females diet and dust type is also given. The wing-length in mm of both the mated and unmated males is also provided.Mating Data- Bulb Duster Method.csvSurvival ExperimentsThis dataset shows the results of the survival experiments. For block 1 and 2, the survival data is provided for the high and low diet males that remained virgins (Virgins), and the high and low diet males that were exposed to females (Mated). The day is given and the cup number (1-4). For each day the number of males alive and dead is given, and the % survival.