A Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Diagnostic to Identify Larvae and Eggs of Container Mosquito Species from the Australian Region

Dengue outbreaks occur regularly in parts of northern Queensland, Australia, and there is Concern that these outbreaks may spread with the introduction and range expansion of the two main vectors Aedcs aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse). Problems encountered in separating larvae of endemic and exotic container mosquito species resutled in the development of a polymarase chain reaction diagnostic procedure that uses a restriction enzyme t cut the internal transcribed scaper region 1 of the ribosomal DNA to separate Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus from a number of common local container mosquito species which can be used at any stage of the life cycle, including eggs up to 8 weeks of age. Identification was possible using desiccated or alcohol-preserved specimens with a response time of