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Double Trouble: Aquatic Invasive Plants Can Promote Mosquitoes

Tressia Chikodza; Ross N. Cuthbert; Maarten Schrama; Julie Coetzee; Ryan Wasserman; Michiel P. Veldhuis; Emily F. Strange
Ecology Letters · Vol. 28, Issue 10 · 2025

Abstract

Human activities continue to facilitate biological invasions, profoundly impacting our environment and economy. Plants and insects constitute the majority of invasions to date, with facilitative links established between them, particularly in terrestrial habitats. These relationships remain understudied in aquatic environments, including potential associations between aquatic invasive plants and disease vectors such as mosquitoes. Here, we synthesise current knowledge on the co‐occurrence of aquatic invasive plants and mosquitoes, identify key research gaps and present a conceptual framework underpinned by testable hypotheses on how aquatic invasive plants may influence immature and adult mosquito populations. We provide evidence suggesting that these plant‐mosquito relationships could pose previously unrecognised risks and highlight priority areas for future research to better understand the potential public health implications of aquatic plant invasions. We call for targeted in situ and ex situ investigations to test the proposed hypotheses and increase our understanding of the interactions between aquatic invasive plants and mosquito population dynamics. Testing these hypotheses will inform adaptive, evidence‐based management strategies to simultaneously control aquatic invasive species and vector mosquitoes.

Bibliographic Information

JournalEcology Letters
PublisherWiley
Publication Date2025-10-01
Publication Year2025
Volume28
Issue10
Document TypeJournal Article
Print ISSN1461-023X
eISSN1461-0248
DOI10.1111/ele.70199
SubjectEcology & Organismal Biology

Access Information

NARA Access Coverage1998-01-01~Current
Journal Homepagehttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/loi/14610248
Publisher PageOpen Publisher Page
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