Stranger swings: Temperature-dependent upsides and downsides of a densovirus in Aedes albopictus
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases remain a significant global health concern, with the invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus playing a key role in the transmission of arboviruses including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. As this species expands in novel territories, effective vector control strategies are increasingly critical. Densoviruses (DVs) have emerged as potential biological control agents, either through direct pathogenic effects on mosquito populations or via paratransgenesis. However, the influence of combined environmental factors, such as temperature and densovirus infection on mosquito life-history traits remains largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the effects of different temperatures (28°C, 31°C, and 34°C) and exposure to the densovirus AalDV2 on the survival of Ae. albopictus and on several mosquito life-history traits including its development time, size and symmetry at adult stage. Larvae were individually reared under controlled conditions and exposed to AalDV2 or a control treatment. Temperature had a strong threshold-like effect on survival, with dramatic mortality increases at 34°C. Unexpectedly, AalDV2-infected larvae showed significantly higher survival than controls at this extreme temperature, suggesting a protective effect under thermal stress. Across all temperatures, viral infection delayed pupation in a sex-dependent manner, with females experiencing greater delays and reduced adult wing size. Quantitative PCR revealed high infection rates (>96%) across all conditions with a viral load increasing with higher temperature in a sex-dependent manner. Our findings reveal a paradoxical outcome: while AalDV2 imposes fitness costs through delayed development and reduced body size, it confers an unexpected survival advantage at the extreme temperature. This represents the first documentation of temperature-dependent protective effects by an entomopathogenic virus in mosquitoes, challenging conventional assumptions about pathogen impacts. These results have critical implications for vector biocontrol strategies in a warming climate, as densovirus deployment could inadvertently enhance mosquito resilience in heat-stressed regions. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and assess the impact on mosquito population dynamics.
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BibTeX
@article{boete2026stranger,
title = {{Stranger swings: Temperature-dependent upsides and downsides of a densovirus in Aedes albopictus}},
author = {Christophe Boëte and Marco Perriat-Sanguinet and Anne-Sophie Gosselin-Grenet and Patrick Makoundou and Mylène Ogliastro and Mathieu Sicard and Sandra Unal and Mylène Weill and Célestine Atyame},
journal = {PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0014405},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05767493v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Stranger swings: Temperature-dependent upsides and downsides of a densovirus in Aedes albopictus
AU - Christophe Boëte
AU - Marco Perriat-Sanguinet
AU - Anne-Sophie Gosselin-Grenet
AU - Patrick Makoundou
AU - Mylène Ogliastro
AU - Mathieu Sicard
AU - Sandra Unal
AU - Mylène Weill
AU - Célestine Atyame
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/08
JO - PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0014405
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05767493v1
AB - Vector-borne diseases remain a significant global health concern, with the invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus playing a key role in the transmission of arboviruses including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. As this species expands in novel territories, effective vector control strategies are increasingly critical. Densoviruses (DVs) have emerged as potential biological control agents, either through direct pathogenic effects on mosquito populations or via paratransgenesis. However, the influence of combined environmental factors, such as temperature and densovirus infection on mosquito life-history traits remains largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the effects of different temperatures (28°C, 31°C, and 34°C) and exposure to the densovirus AalDV2 on the survival of Ae. albopictus and on several mosquito life-history traits including its development time, size and symmetry at adult stage. Larvae were individually reared under controlled conditions and exposed to AalDV2 or a control treatment. Temperature had a strong threshold-like effect on survival, with dramatic mortality increases at 34°C. Unexpectedly, AalDV2-infected larvae showed significantly higher survival than controls at this extreme temperature, suggesting a protective effect under thermal stress. Across all temperatures, viral infection delayed pupation in a sex-dependent manner, with females experiencing greater delays and reduced adult wing size. Quantitative PCR revealed high infection rates (>96%) across all conditions with a viral load increasing with higher temperature in a sex-dependent manner. Our findings reveal a paradoxical outcome: while AalDV2 imposes fitness costs through delayed development and reduced body size, it confers an unexpected survival advantage at the extreme temperature. This represents the first documentation of temperature-dependent protective effects by an entomopathogenic virus in mosquitoes, challenging conventional assumptions about pathogen impacts. These results have critical implications for vector biocontrol strategies in a warming climate, as densovirus deployment could inadvertently enhance mosquito resilience in heat-stressed regions. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and assess the impact on mosquito population dynamics.
SN - 1935-2727
SN - 1935-2735
ER -