COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF EMERGENCE TIME AND DIFFERENT HOST BLOODS ON FECUNDITY AND EGG HATCHABILITY OF AEDES (STEGOMYIA) AEGYPTI (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE)

Abstract

The nutritive values of three different host bloods (chicken, mouse and human) were tested on Aedes aegypti using egg-production as a criterion. The body weights and blood meal weights were obtained in each treatment. The subsequent hatchability of the eggs derived from the different host bloods were also compared. The three host bloods were subjected to an analysis of some trace elements to compare the differences in the relative amounts of each element analysed. The differences between adults derived from the same egg batch but with different emergence times were also tested in terms of their body weights, blood meal weights, fecundity (eggs derived from each of the three host bloods) and the hatchability of the eggs. Mouse blood and chicken blood are found to be more nutritive, producing more eggs in those female mosquitoes which fed on them, compared to human blood. Regardless of the type of blood, there is a significant difference in fecundity between the adults of different emergence time. In all cases the late emergents are found to be lighter, consuming less blood while feeding and produced less eggs than the larger, early, emergents. This is thought to be due the reduced number of primary oocytes and body reserves found in the late emergents. There is no significant difference in the hatchability of the eggs derived from the different bloods, and also there is no difference in hatchability between the eggs obtained from adults of different emergence time. Therefore blood meal type or time of emergence of the adults has no effect on the hatchability of the eggs produced. The analysis of bloods has not shown any conclusive results to explain the differences in their nutritive value, as found in this study.