The Role of Tire Leachate in Condition-specific Competition and the Persistence of a Resident Mosquito from a Competitively Superior Invader
The Role of Tire Leachate in Condition-specific Competition and the Persistence of a Resident Mosquito from a Competitively Superior Invader
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Date
2022-10-22
Authors
Villena, Oswaldo C.
Sullivan, Joseph H.
Landa, Edward R.
Yarwood, Stephanie A.
Torrents, Alba
Zhang, Aijun
Leisnham, Paul T.
Advisor
Citation
Villena, O.C.; Sullivan, J.H.; Landa, E.R.; Yarwood, S.A.; Torrents, A.; Zhang, A.; Leisnham, P.T. The Role of Tire Leachate in Condition-Specific Competition and the Persistence of a Resident Mosquito from a Competitively Superior Invader. Insects 2022, 13, 969.
Abstract
(1) Background: Condition-specific competition, when the outcome of competition varies
with abiotic conditions, can facilitate species coexistence in spatially or temporally variable environments. Discarded vehicle tires degrade to leach contaminants into collected rainwater that provide
habitats for competing mosquito species. We tested the hypothesis that more highly degraded tires
that contain greater tire leachate alters interspecific mosquito competition to produce a conditionspecific advantage for the resident, Culex pipiens, by altering the outcome of competition with the
competitively superior invasive Aedes albopictus. (2) Methods: In a competition trial, varying densities
of newly hatched Ae. albopictus and Cx. pipiens larvae were added to tires that had been exposed
to three different ultraviolet (UV)-B conditions that mimicked full-sun, shade, or no UV-B conditions in the field. We also measured Cx. pipiens and Ae. albopictus oviposition preference among
four treatments with varying tire leachate (high and low) and resources (high and low) amounts
to determine if adult gravid females avoided habitats with higher tire leachate. (3) Results: We
found stronger competitive effects of Cx. pipiens on the population performance and survival of
Ae. albopictus in tires exposed to shade and full-sun conditions that had higher concentrations of
contaminants. Further, zinc concentration was higher in emergent adults of Ae. albopictus than
Cx. pipiens. Oviposition by these species was similar between tire leachate treatments but not by
resource amount. (4) Conclusions: These results suggest that degraded tires with higher tire leachate
may promote condition-specific competition by reducing the competitive advantage of invasive Ae.
albopictus over resident Cx. pipiens and, combined with Cx. pipiens’ preferential oviposition in higher
resource sites, contribute to the persistence of the resident species.
Notes
Partial funding for Open Access provided by the UMD Libraries' Open Access Publishing Fund.