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A comparison of the life history components of Aedes aegypti (L.) and Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

F. K. Kasule
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35064, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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Abstract

Life history components, especially those of the adult stage, were investigated in Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus in the laboratory. Males of Cx. quinquefasciatus had a greater expectation of life at adult eclosion than males of Ae. aegypti. There was no statistically significant difference in the means of life expectancy for females of Ae. aegypti versus those of Cx. quinquefasciatus. In both species, males had a shorter life than females. The two species exhibited considerable heterogeneity for reproductive characters. Females reproducing for the first time were younger in Cx. quinquefasciatus than in Ae. aegypti. Net reproductive rate and the per capita rate of increase were greater in the former than in the latter species. Cx. quinquefasciatus had a shorter generation time than Ae. aegypti. The data reported here are inconsistent to varying degrees when compared with data gathered by other workers from the same species. The results are discussed with reference to the theoretical constructs of the life history theory.

Résumé

Les phases de l'histoire de la vie, spećialement cells du stade actulté, étaient analysées au laboratoire chez Aedes aegypti et Culex quinquefasciatus. Les mâles de C. quinquefasciatus avaient une ésperance de vie plus élevée lors de l'éclosion à l'etat adulte que les mâles de A. aegypti. Il n'y avait pas de différence statistique significative dans les moyennes de espérances de vie pour les femelles de A. aegypti comparés à ceux de C. quinquefasciatus. Chez les 2 espèces, les mâles avaient une vie plus courte que celle des femelles. Les deux espèces montraient une heterogenéité considerable dans leurs charactères reproductifs. Les femelles se reproduisant pour la première fois étaient plus jeunes chez C. quinquefasciatus que chez A. aegypti. Le taux de reproduction net et le taux de croissance par tête étaient plus grands chez ceux-ci que chez de génération plus courte que celle de A. aegypti. Les valeurs rapportées ici sont inconsistantes à degrés divers compareés à celles collecteés pa d'autres chercheurs à partir des mêmes éspeces. Les resultats sont discutés en se référant aux considérations théorigues de l'étude des phases de la vie.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1986

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