Satyrisation

Sterility caused by cross-mating between Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti (a process known as satyrisation) may have initially contributed to the observed competitive reduction of Aedes aegypti by invasive Aedes albopictus in many areas of Florida.

Quantifying satyrisation by assessing interspecific sperm in spermathecae underestimates the capacity of male A[edes] albopictus to reduce the fitness of virgin female A. aegypti.

US researchers have added another piece to the puzzle that is satyrisation, one of the most complex aspects of the mosquito world. It only occurs in mosquitoes, in fact, but is of increasing interest as mosquito-borne diseases emerge as problems worldwide. In Greek mythology a satyr is a lusty fertile woodland deity, but satyrisation is the opposite. It occurs when the male of one species mates with the female of another, but instead of producing a hybrid, the result is no offspring at all. In fact, the unfortunate female is rendered sterile. Satyrisation is also the mechanism by which introduced mosquito species displace native mosquito species, particularly island endemics.