SELECTING A LARVAL DIET FOR SCALABLE MASS-REARING OF AEDES AEGYPTI IN STERILE INSECT TECHNIQUE APPLICATIONS.

Controlling Aedes aegypti populations through traditional methods is increasingly difficult due to the development of insecticide resistance and their use of cryptic breeding habitats. The sterile insect technique has emerged as an effective tool for integrated vector management. Still, its success depends on the ability to mass-rear large numbers of high-quality mosquitoes. Choosing an appropriate larval diet is crucial for scalable mass-rearing, as it directly influences mosquito development, survival, and overall production efficiency. This study compared the effects of 3 larval diets: 1) TetraMin® Tropical Flakes, 2) Ziegler® Tropical Pro-Start45 Meal, and 3) bovine liver powder delivered in cellulose capsules, on the growth and performance of male Ae. aegypti under simulated mass-rearing conditions. Ziegler-reared mosquitoes had significantly larger pupal and adult sizes than those reared on Tetramin or liver powder. The Tetramin diet produced smaller adults, but with longevity comparable to that of the Ziegler diet, whereas the liver powder diet resulted in mosquitoes of similar size to those of the Tetramin diet, but with reduced longevity. While all 3 diets demonstrated viability for mass-rearing, their suitability depends on program-specific goals and constraints. The liver powder diet offered a good balance of biological performance and operational efficiency, but at a substantially higher economic cost. With further optimization of feeding regimens, the Ziegler diet shows the most significant potential to deliver high biological quality at the lowest price, making it a strong candidate for scalable mass-rearing programs.