LIFE CYCLE OF AEDES AEGYPTI BASED ON ACIDITY VARIATION OF DOMESTIC SEWAGE WATER

Abstract

Aedes aegypti breeds in clean water, not in direct contact with the ground, thus, its behavior in breeding becomes the key factor for mosquito survival. Several previous studies showed that Aedes aegypti was able to survive and become mosquitoes in environment with high levels of pollution, that were previously considered as unsupportive breeding site, such as domestic sewage water. This study aimed to analyze the difference in Aedes aegypti’s oviposition, hatchability, and development in various pH of domestic sewage water. This was an experimental study. The number of Aedes aegypti gravid females for the oviposition test was 25 per group with five replications with choice and no-choice methods. Eggs produced in the oviposition test were observed for the hatchability and development tests from larvae to imago. Domestic sewage water was maintained at the pH level of 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, and 9.5. Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and followed by the Mann-Whitney test. There was a significant difference between the oviposition of Aedes aegypti in domestic sewage water with various pH used in the choice assay method (p = 0.001) and that in the no-choice assay method (p = 0.003). The eggs of Aedes aegypti hatched on Day 9 in sewage water with various pH (p = 0.001), larvae developed into pupae on the seventh day (p = 0.001), and pupae developed into imago on the third day (p = 0.001). Based on this research, we concluded that Aedes aegypti can lay eggs not only in clean water but also in domestic sewage water with pH of 6.5-9.5. Eggs hatched in domestic sewage water and developed to be imago at pH 9.5 (18.2%). Thus, it is necessary to socialize the Elimination Breeding Place (EBP) program on domestic sewage water.