@article{fdi:010068672,
  title = {{C}ross-mating compatibility and competitiveness among {A}edes albopictus strains from distinct geographic origins implications for future application of sit programs in the {S}outh {W}est {I}ndian {O}cean {I}slands},
  author = {{D}amiens, {D}avid and {L}ebon, {C}. and {W}ilkinson, {D}. {A}. and {D}ijoux-{M}illet, {D}. and {L}e {G}off, {G}ilbert and {B}heecarry, {A}. and {G}ouagna, {L}ouis-{C}l{\'e}ment},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he production of large numbers of males needed for a sustainable sterile insect technique ({SIT}) control program requires significant developmental and operational costs. {T}his may constitute a significant economic barrier to the installation of large scale rearing facilities in countries that are undergoing a transition from being largely dependent on insecticide use to be in a position to integrate the {SIT} against {A}edes albopictus. {A}lternative options available for those countries could be to rely on outsourcing of sterile males from a foreign supplier, or for one centralised facility to produce mosquitoes for several countries, thus increasing the efficiency of the mass-rearing effort. {H}owever, demonstration of strain compatibility is a prerequisite for the export of mosquitoes for transborder {SIT} applications. {H}ere, we compared mating compatibility among {A}e. albopictus populations originating from three islands of the {S}outh {W}estern {I}ndian {O}cean, and assessed both insemination rates and egg fertility in all possible cross-mating combinations. {F}urthermore, competitiveness between irradiated and non-irradiated males from the three studied strains, and the subsequent effect on female fertility were also examined. {A}lthough morphometric analysis of wing shapes suggested phenoptypic differences between {A}e. albopictus strains, perfect reproductive compatibility between them was observed. {F}urthermore, irradiated males from the different islands demonstrated similar levels of competitiveness and induced sterility when confronted with fertile males from any of the other island populations tested. {I}n conclusion, despite the evidence of inter-strain differences based on male wing morphology, collectively, our results provide a new set of expectations for the use of a single candidate strain of mass-reared sterile males for area-wide scale application of {SIT} against {A}e. albopictus populations in different islands across the {S}outh {W}estern {I}ndian {O}cean. {C}ross-mating competitiveness tests such as those applied here are necessary to assess the quality of mass reared strains for the trans-border application of sterile male release programs.},
  keywords = {{MAYOTTE} ; {REUNION} ; {SEYCHELLES} ; {MAURICE} ; {RODRIGUES} ; {COMORES} ; {MADAGASCAR} ; {OCEAN} {INDIEN}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {O}ne},
  volume = {11},
  numero = {11},
  pages = {art. e0163788 [18 ]},
  ISSN = {1932-6203},
  year = {2016},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.pone.0163788},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010068672},
}