Will Balding | 2025 I.S. Symposium

Name: Will Balding
Title: Bridging the Gap: An Investigation into the Genetic Diversity and Laboratory Colonization of Aedes japonicus japonicus in Northern Ohio
Major: Biology
Minors: Computer Science; Music
Advisors: Ferdinad Nanfack Minkeu; Richard Lehtinen

Invasive mosquitoes are serious ecological and medical threats. The Asian rock pool mosquito, Aedes japonicus japonicus, has been identified as a potential disease vector. Researchers investigating this mosquito have discovered increasing numbers of grouped mutations (haplotypes) within conserved mitochondrial genes COI and NAD4 across several states. However, Ohio has been understudied in this capacity. Furthermore, there are few documented attempts at laboratory colonization of the subspecies. To address both research gaps, this study aimed to experimentally colonize and investigate the population-level genetic diversity of Ae. j. japonicus mosquitoes in three Ohio cities: Wooster, Cleveland, and Newark. The study also aimed to identify whether the size phenotypes described in previous student research were heritable. Trapped mosquitoes were separated into large and small colonies based on body size. Due to high mortality rates of the small phenotype, the wild-caught F0 generation consisted entirely of large mosquitoes. Despite this, the F1 offspring generation consisted of both large and small mosquitoes, indicating that diet-related factors may determine body size. A subset of mosquitoes from the F0 generation had their DNA sequenced, with a high haplotype diversity discovered in both genes. Furthermore, genetic sequence comparisons revealed an overlap in the haplotypes present between the Wooster and Cleveland mosquitoes, providing strong evidence that they diverged from the same invasive population. These results align with reports from other states, underscoring the need to continue monitoring this species as a potential disease vector. As the climate continues to warm, it could enable interactions between Ae. j. japonicus and confirmed mosquito vectors.

Posted in Symposium 2025 on May 1, 2025.