Aedes-borne viruses have rapidly expanded globally, primarily due to the spread of Aedes aegypti, which quickly adapts to diverse environments. Because the intensifying effects of climate change are increasing global aridity and drought conditions, identifying the characteristics of micro-climates that support the invasion and persistence of Ae.aegypti in ”dry” landscapes is increasingly critical for understanding transmission dynamics of many globally relevant arboviruses. This research tested the hypothesis that Ae. aegypti utilize favorable micro-climates in urban-arid environments to mitigate the compounding environmental factors of dryness and high light intensity. Specifically, we tested that 1) micro-climates with higher humidity and lower light intensity would have a higher abundance of Ae. aegypti compared to those that were drier and had higher light intensity when nested in an otherwise arid landscape and 2) that Ae. aegypti persisting in an arid environment would have adaptive traits, including increased cuticle thickness, to combat water loss. Ae. aegypti were sampled in El Paso, TX, a highly arid region that receives nearly 300 days of full sun per year. Preliminary results showed that Ae. aegypti abundance was higher in high humidity sites (~40% RH vs. 20% RH) and sites with increased shade. We found no interaction between the humidity of sites and the sunlight intensity on Ae. aegypti abundance. Results on cuticle thickness of arid adapted Ae. aegypti, as well as growth studies performed in mesocosms of varying degrees of humidity and sunlight intensity will be presented.
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