Stage-dependent trade-offs in thermal performance: fluctuating temperatures reverse larval and adult fitness in Anopheles gambiae and An. coluzzii.

ABSTRACT: Temperature is a key environmental factor influencing the development, survival, and transmission potential of malaria vectors. While most laboratory studies use constant temperature (CT) regimes, mosquitoes in natural habitats experience fluctuating temperatures (FTs), which may affect their life-history traits. We investigated the effects of CT (27 °C) and FT (27 ± 3 °C) on larval and adult traits of 2 major malaria vectors, Anopheles gambiae and An. coluzzii, under laboratory conditions. We measured larval survival, development time, adult body size, and adult survival, using survival and mixed-effects models. Species-specific and stage-specific responses to temperature regimes were observed. An. gambiae larvae exhibited higher survival under FT, while An. coluzzii larvae survived bette

SUBMITTER: Pazmino-Betancourth M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12861982 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature