Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-c654p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-25T13:56:09.481Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Laboratory colonisation of Mansoniamosquitos

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

B. R Laurence
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
R. Page
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
S. A. Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Extract

A technique is described for maintaining colonies of mosquitos belonging to the genus Mansonia, subgenus Mansonioides, which have root-piercing larvae and pupae. The colonies are maintained in the absence of living plants. The females lay their eggs on discs of wet-strength crepe paper floating on the surface of water in small 10 × 6–cm. containers. Sheets of the same paper, 14 × 10 cm., stand vertically in the larval infusion bowls and the larvae attach themselves to, and pupate on, these sheets of paper, which contain air spaces. The papers are changed three times a week and this ensures an adequate air supply for the aquatic stages. The larval infusion is produced by soaking pellets of a proprietary animal-diet (Diet 18) in water, at the rate of 20 g. pellets per 1,500 cc. tap water, allowing to stand 3–7 days and using diluted 1:5 with water. The infusion in each larval bowl is stabilised by a block of turf, and yeast is added three times a week; this ensures a continuous supply of micro-organisms on which the larvae feed. The pupae are removed whilst still attached to the sheets of paper, these being transferred to covered bowls, containing tap water and a turf block, in which the adult mosquitos emerge. Pupal mortality is found to be about 40 per cent. With this technique, monthly production of adults has averaged about 2,000 and 1,300 in two insectaries, but has continued to fluctuate between wide limits. The fluctuations have not shown seasonal periodicity, but the numbers produced per month in the two insectaries are correlated significantly, although the insectaries are managed independently. This may reflect variations in the balance of micro-organisms in the standard nutrient infusions used, which could affect mortality amongst firstinstar larvae.

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1962

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Jayewickreme, S. H. & Niles, W. J. (1952). A technique for rearing Mansonioides larvae in the laboratory.—Ceylon J. Sci. (B) 25 pp. 16.Google Scholar
Laurence, B. R. (1960). The biology of two species of mosquito, Mansonia africana (Theobald) and Mansonia uniformis (Theobald), belonging to the subgenus Mansonioides (Diptera, Culicidae).—Bull. ent. Res. 51 pp. 491517.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laurence, B. R. & Smith, S. A. (1958). The breeding of Taeniorhynchus (subgenus Mansonioides) mosquitoes in the laboratory.—Trans. R. Soc. trop. Med. Hyg. 52 pp. 518526.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wharton, R. H. (1957). Studies on filariasis in Malaya: notes on the breeding of Mansonia (Mansonioides) mosquitoes in the laboratory.—Ann. trop. Med. Parasit. 51 pp. 297300.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed