Christophers' stage durations and effect of interrupted blood meal in the mosquito Aedes caspius (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

Christophers' stages durations and effect of interrupted blood meal were investigated in laboratory to study the gonotrophic cycle of Aedes caspius (Pallas, 1771). A first experiment was done with replete females (full blood meal) and females with an interrupted blood meal. Females were then regularly dissected, the durations of Christophers' stages I, II, III, IV, V were up to 8, 8, 32, 8, 48 h, respectively. A second experiment was done with replete females, females with an interrupted blood meal and females with an interrupted blood meal completed 24 h later. Interrupted females matured 21 ± 5 follicles, interrupted-completed females 92 ± 11, and replete females 120 ± 8 follicles.