The effect of age on the flight performance of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Abstract

The paucity of information concerning mosquito flight ability resulted in experiments designed to estimate some aspects of mosquito flight potential under laboratory conditions. Each day for 6 weeks, eight female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were flown on flight mills, and the distance flown, duration of flights, flight speed, and weight lost during exhaustive flights were recorded. Comparisons of the performances of mosquitoes of different ages indicated that no statistical differences existed in flight ability as measured between consecutive days. Differences did occur between weekly age groups. Flight performance was maximal during the first 14 days of adlut life. Flight performance (distance flown) decreased by 42 per cent at the beginning of the third week (day 15) and again, sharply, in the fourth week. Exhausted mosquitoes were analysed for glycogen content (the primary source of flight energy) and comparisons were made with glycogen levels of non-flown controls of identical physiological age. Mosquitoes aged from 1 to 12 days utilized almost all available glycogen in exhaustive flights. During the third and fourth weeks, glycogen in exhausted mosquitoes increased concomitantly with a reduction in flight ability.