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THE EFFECT OF CONSPECIFICS ON OVIPOSITION SITE SELECTION AND OVIPOSITION BEHAVIOUR IN AEDES TOGOI (THEOBOLD) (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

David Y. Onyabe  and
Bernard D. Roitberg
David Y. Onyabe
Affiliation:
Centre for Pest Management, and Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
Bernard D. Roitberg*
Affiliation:
Centre for Pest Management, and Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
*
1Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed.
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Abstract

Two opposing hypotheses are tested regarding the choice of oviposition sites by female Aedes togoi (Theobold) mosquitoes: (i) conspecific avoidance—females discriminate against sites harboring conspecifics to reduce intraspecific competition for their offspring and (ii) conspecific attraction—females prefer sites with conspecifics because their presence indicates suitable conditions for larvae. Under laboratory conditions, A. togoi females laid many more eggs on rearing water (LRW) containing conspecific larvae, their waste, bacteria, and food supplements than on rearing water alone (RM). In another experiment, females showed an oviposition preference for LRW sites that were devoid of A. togoi eggs compared with those harboring 50 (0.3 eggs/mL) conspecific eggs. Further, it was discovered that females laid their eggs at several sites rather than at a single suitable site. Possible reasons for such choices are discussed.

Résumé

Nous avons éprouvé deux hypothèses contraires au sujet du choix d’un site de ponte chez les femelles d’Aedes togoi (Theobold) : (i) la fuite des individus conspécifiques—les femelles évitent les sites occupés par des conspécifiques de façon à réduire la compétition intraspécifique chez leurs rejetons et (ii) l’attirance pour les individus conspécifiques—les femelles préfèrent les sites déjà occupés par des conspécifiques parce que leur présence est indicatrice de conditions favorables pour les larves. Dans des conditions de laboratoire, des femelles d’A. togoi ont pondu beaucoup plus d’oeufs dans de l’eau d’élevage (LRW) contenant des larves conspécifiques, leurs excréments, leurs bactéries et leurs suppléments alimentaires que dans de l’eau d’élevage pure (RM). Au cours d’une autre expérience, les femelles ont manifesté des préférences pour les sites LRW ne contenant pas d’oeufs d’A. togoi plutôt que pour les sites contenant déjà 50 (0,3 oeufs/mL) oeufs conspécifiques. De plus, nous avons constaté que les femelles pondaient leurs oeufs à plusieurs endroits plutôt qu’à un seul site favorable. Nous examinons les raisons possibles de ces comportements multiples, propres à équilibrer les risques.

[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 129 , Issue 6 , December 1997 , pp. 1173 - 1176
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1997

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