Autogenous egg development in anautogenous Culex pipiens pallens mosquitoes

Abstract

Ovaries of 1- to 4-day-old adult anautogenous Culex pipiens pallens mosquitoes were transplanted into newly-emerged females of the same species. Ovaries taken from 1-day-old females were never activated. However, ovaries taken from 2-day-old adults were all activated and 12% matured eggs “autogenously”. Development to maturity occurred more frequently as the follicular development of transplanted ovaries was more advanced, and 39% of the ovaries removed from 4-day-old donors (follicles had reached the previtellogenic resting stage) formed mature eggs. When ovaries from 4-day-old females were transplanted into 1- to 3-day-old hosts, only 1-day-old hosts could activate the implanted ovaries, but matured no eggs, and those females older than 2 days had little stimulatory effect on the implanted ovaries.