Short-term changes in the abundance and parity rate of Anopheles quadrimaculatus species C (Diptera: Culicidae) in a central Florida swamp.

Abstract

Updraft CDC traps baited with dry ice were used to monitor changes in the abundance and parity rate of Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say complex mosquitoes in an intermittently flooded swamp in Central Florida during an 18-d period. Mosquitoes collected each day were identified to species using DNA hybridization and isozyme electrophoretic techniques and were dissected to determine follicular maturation and parity. Of 1,178 An. quadrimaculatus mosquitoes identified to species, 4% were species A and 96% were species C. Dissections of females of both species indicated that 98% were nonblood fed and nongravid with ovariole development at Christophers' stage II. Overall parity rates were 0.19 and 0.51 for populations of species A and species C, respectively. The duration of the gonotrophic cycle for species C females was estimated to be 5 d based on the interval between peaks in the number of nulliparous females collected on days 1 and 6 and peaks in the number of parous females collected 5 d later. Significant trends were observed in the number of parous species C females collected each day, indicating that the parity rate could not be used as an unbiased estimator of survivorship.