Three strains of Ae. albopictus collected in three localities in northern Italy (Rimini, Cesena, and Pinerolo) were reared under standard laboratory conditions (27 ± 1°C, 85% RH, 12 h scotophase) for several generations. The adults were kept in Plexiglas cages (50 × 50 × 50 cm) at density of ≈1,500–2,000 individuals per cage. Cages were supplied with 10% sugar solution on which mosquitoes fed ad libitum. Bovine blood in sheep intestine was offered weekly using an electrically heated aluminum chamber thermostatically controlled. Females laid eggs in plastic beakers containing dechlorinated water and a strip of white filter paper. After oviposition, the filter paper was removed from the cage and left to dry in a closed plastic container with a saturated solution of potassium sulfate. One week later, the eggs were counted and placed in a 1.0-liter closed bottle with 0.75 liters dechlorinated water, 0.25 g of Bacto nutrient broth, and 0.05 g of yeast to stimulate hatching. Larvae were reared at fixed density (1,333 larvae/L) in white plastic trays (41 × 31 × 11 cm) containing 3 liters of dechlorinated water provided with aerators and were fed with a diet consisting of 2.1 mg/larva Friskies dry cat food + 0.38 mg/larva brewer yeast + 0.15 mg/larva Tetramin (10% was given on day 1; 20% on day 2; 30% on day 3; and 40% on day 5) (Bellini et al. 2007 ). To separate males from females at the pupal stage, a mechanical separation method exploiting pupal size dimorphism was employed using a metal sieve with a 1,400-μm square hole mesh (Medici et al. 2000 ).