Speaker
Description
Climate change and urbanization facilitate the spread of container-breeding mosquitoes, increasing the risk of mosquito-borne disease outbreaks in previously unaffected regions. However, most knowledge of mosquito thermal biology is based on laboratory studies. Here, we present the first results of a novel field experiment assessing climate warming effects on urban mosquito populations. Using low-cost, open-source Arduino hardware, we developed an automated heating system to warm water in experimental containers relative to unmanipulated controls. At eight sites in Hamburg (Germany), four 90-L containers were installed: one control and three treatments maintained at +1.5°C, +3.0°C, and +4.5°C above the control, reflecting projected IPCC warming scenarios. From June to September 2025, weekly measurements included water level, pH, electrical conductivity, Culex egg rafts, and insect emergence. Approximately 40,000 insects emerged from the 32 containers. Culex pipiens s.s. and Cx. torrentium accounted for ~95% of specimens. Culex productivity was ~20% higher in the +1.5°C and ~10% higher in the +3.0°C treatments than in the control and +4.5°C treatment. In addition, the wing size of the emerging mosquitoes decreased significantly with increasing water temperature, suggesting fitness-related effects. This cost-effective field approach enables ecologically realistic experiments to assess climate change impacts on urban mosquitoes and other aquatic insects.
Keywords
Mosquitoes, Climate Change, Experimental Field Study
| Registration ID | OHS26-60 |
|---|---|
| Professional Status of the Speaker | Postdoc |
| Junior Scientist Status | No, I am not a Junior Scientist. |
