The Importance of Males: Larval Diet and Adult Sugar Feeding Influences Reproduction in Culex molestus

• Published in: Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association Vol. 28; no. 4; pp. 312 - 316
• Main Authors: Kassim, Nur Faeza A, Webb, Cameron E, Russell, Richard C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 15000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 American Mosquito Control Association, Inc 01.12.2012; American Mosquito Control Association
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Aquatic insects; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Carbohydrates; Culex - physiology; Culex molestus; Diet; Female; Females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Hatching; Human nutrition; Influence; Larva - drug effects; Larva - physiology; larval diet; Male; male mosquito; Males; mating; Medical research; Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control; Mosquitoes; Nutrition research; Reproduction; Scientific Notes; Sex Ratio; Sugar; sugar feeding; Urban areas; Vectors. Intermediate hosts; Australia; Western Australia Australia; New South Wales Australia; Insecta; Parasite; Male; Culex; sugar feeding; Feeding; Mating; Reproduction; Larva; Diet; Culex molestus; Arthropoda; Culicidae; Ectoparasite; Invertebrata; Vector; larval diet; Diptera; Sugar; male mosquito
• ISSN: 8756-971X; 1943-6270
• DOI: 10.2987/12-6274R.1

Culex molestus is an obligatory autogenous mosquito that is closely associated with subterranean habitats in urban areas. The objective of our study was to investigate the influence of larval and adult nutrition on the role of males in determining the expression of autogeny in Cx. molestus. Mosquitoes raised at low and high larval diets had sex ratio, wing length, mating rates, autogenous egg raft size, and hatching rates recorded. There was a higher ratio of males to females when raised at a low larval diet. Mean wing lengths of both males and females were significantly greater when raised at the high larval diet regime. Regardless of larval or adult diet, males mated with only a single female. Mosquitoes raised at the higher larval diet regimes developed significantly more autogenous eggs. However, the egg raft size was reduced when adult females were denied access to sugar. The results of this study indicate that the performance of males in the reproductive process is influenced by both larval diet and adult sugar feeding.