Unveiling the underwater story: The secret lives of Aedes mosquito larvae
Author(s): Subrat Kumar Panigrahi, Rakesh Kumar Acharya, Smruti Ranjan Parida and Punyatoya Panda
Abstract: Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are prominent vectors for the transmission of various life-threatening diseases, including dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika virus, malaria, filariasis, and yellow fever. Aedes mosquito-borne diseases (ABDs), such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever, have become significant global public health issues in recent years. Annually, mosquito-borne diseases impact around 700 million individuals and result in over one million fatalities globally. Despite extensive research on the behaviour and vectorial capacity of adult Aedes mosquitoes, a significant information silence persists about their larval stages. This review seeks to deliver a thorough examination of Aedes larval life, analysing their developmental stages, the environmental and biological elements affecting their growth, and the consequences of larval biology for adult mosquito characteristics and disease transmission potential. Although larvae play a crucial role in the mosquito life cycle, few research has thoroughly examined these initial stages, and there is currently no comprehensive review on Aedes larval behaviour and development. This research aims to address that deficiency and facilitate the formulation of targeted mosquito control tactics by pharmacological or genetic interventions designed to impair larval development, hence diminishing the incidence of Aedes borne infections.
