Nocturnal blood-feeding preference associated with a melanotic mutant of Culex tarsalis (Diptera: Culicidae)
Apperson, G.W.
Journal of Medical Entomology 16(3): 240-245
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-2585 PMID: 537008 Document Number: 142669
A melanotic (mel) mutant strain isolated from a colonized strain of C. tarsalis differed markedly in its temporal feeding response to chicks. Parental females fed equally well during all 24 h of the laboratory L:D (light:dark, 16 h:8 h) cycle, whereas mel females fed predominantly during the scotophase. Hybrids (F1) derived from reciprocal crosses fed similarly with no statistical difference, but both were intermediate to the parental strains. Mel and wild-type individuals derived from both backcrosses and F1 inbreeding showed feeding behavior similar to their parental strains.