Observations on mating behavior and survivorship of Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles (Diptera: culicidae) during late autumn.

ABSTRACT

Virgin Culex tritaeniorhynchus males and females from a laboratory strain and the progeny of wild-caught females were released at a rural village on the outskirts of Lahore during late autumn to study mating behavior in nature at a time when population abundance was declining. Although both released and endemic males were numerous, few recaptured females were inseminated. Apparently during late autumn there normally is a cessation of mating activity as the population begins to enter the overwintering diapause condition even though males and virgin females may be readily collected resting in fields. These data suggested that genetic material would not be readily introduced into the overwintering population during late autumn.