Abstract
An investigation was initiated to study the pathology and biology of the regular mosquito iridescent virus (RMIV) in the black salt marsh mosquito, Aedes taeniorhynchus. RMIV was capable of infecting a variety of tissues within its host. Cells of the fat body, tracheal epithelium, imaginal discs, and epidermis were the primary sites of viral replication. Extensive destruction of the fat body by this virus resulted in the death of most infected mosquitoes before they reached the adult stage. Other tissues which were involved to a lesser extent were hemocytes, esophagus, nerve, muscle, and both larval and adult ovaries. The transovarial transmission of RMIV was confirmed, and when transovarial transmission occurred, either all or none of the progeny of a given female were infected. The presence of virus in the ovaries was taken as evidence that RMIV is transmitted within the egg.
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