Studies on autogeny in natural populations of Culex pipiens. II. Seasonal abundance of autogenous and anautogenous populations
Spielman, A.
Journal of Medical Entomology 8(5): 555-561
1971
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-2585 PMID: 5160262 Document Number: 31972
The following is virtually the author's abstract of this second part of a series on mosquitos in Boston, Massachusetts . Autogenous examples of Culex pipiens L. were most numerous in breeding sites that were enclosed, while anautogenous examples were most numerous in more open bodies of water. Anautogenous populations increased more rapidly than did autogenous populations. This was attributed to differences in fecundity and in the rate of development. Anautogenous populations declined in numbers in mid-summer. This followed an apparent decline in blood feeding and may have been due either to changes in daily light cycles or to scarcity of vertebrate hosts. An autogenous population bred continuously throughout the winter in a sheltered site. Mosquitos with large fat-bodies were captured at the end of the summer season and these were presumably diapausing anautogenous females. Birds supplied most of the blood-meals of mosquitos caught.