DOI: 10.5061/dryad.s066f
title: Data from: Alteration of plant-species assemblages can decrease the transmission potential of malaria mosquitoes

description: 1. Knowledge of the link between a vector population’s
 pathogen-transmission potential and its biotic environment can generate
 more realistic forecasts of disease risk due to environmental change. It
 also can promote more effective vector control by both conventional and
 novel means 2. The present study assessed the effect of particular
 plant-species assemblages differing in nectar production on components of
 the vectorial capacity of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae s.s., an
 important vector of African malaria. 3. We followed cohorts of mosquitoes
 for 3 weeks in greenhouse mesocosms holding nectar-poor and nectar-rich
 plant species, by tracking daily mortalities and estimating daily biting
 rates and fecundities. At death, a mosquito’s insemination status and wing
 length were determined. These life-history traits allowed incorporation of
 larval dynamics into a vectorial capacity estimate. This new study
 provided both novel assemblages of putative host plants and a human blood
 host within a nocturnal period of maximum biting. 4. Survivorship was
 significantly greater in nectar-rich environments than nectar-poor ones,
 resulting in greater total fecundity. Daily biting rate and fecundity per
 female between treatments was not detected. These results translated to
 greater estimated vectorial capacities in the nectar-rich environment in
 all four replicates of the experiment (means: 1,089.5 ± 125.2 vs. 518.3 ±
 60.6). When mosquito density was made a function of survival and
 fecundity, rather than held constant, the difference between plant
 treatments was more pronounced, but so was the variance, so differences
 were not statistically significant. In the nectar-poor environment,
 females’ survival suffered severely when a blood-host was not provided. A
 sugar-accessibility experiment confirmed that Parthenium hysterophorus is
 a nectar-poor plant for these mosquitoes. Synthesis and applications: This
 study, assessing the effect of particular plant species assemblages on the
 vectorial capacity of malaria mosquitoes, highlights the likelihood that
 changes in plant communities (e.g., due to introduction of exotic or
 nectar-rich species) can increase malaria transmission and that a
 reduction of favourable nectar sources can reduce it. Also, plant
 communities’ data can be used to identify potential high risk areas.
 Further studies are warranted to explore how and when management of plant
 species assemblages should be considered as an option in an integrated
 vector management (IVM) strategy.
description: Alteration of
 plant-species assemblages can decrease the transmission potential of
 malaria mosquitoesSurvival of male and
 female Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes in sugar-rich and sugar-poor mesocosms
 without access to blood (4 replicates of each), and one replicate without
 access to blood (bloodless) time to death and censor data (e.g.,
 accidental deaths) are included. Daily biting rates, insemination
 proportions, and fecundity per female were also calculated for the 4
 replicates.Ebrahimi_JAE_Dryad.xlsx