INFLUENCE OF MALES ON THE BLOOD-FEEDING BEHAVIOR OF FEMALE CULEX-PIPIENS COMPLEX MOSQUITOS DURING THE FIRST GONOTROPHIC CYCLE

The hematophagous behavior of fertilized and unfertilized mosquitoes w ithin the Culex pipiens complex (Culex molestus, Culex quinquefasciatu s, and Culex pipiens s. str.) was studied during their first gonotroph ic cycle. Unmated females of these three taxa within the complex fed o n blood during the first gonotrophic cycle, and the engorged females l aid their first egg rafts. However, Cx. molestus females, which are au togenous, did not feed on blood during the first gonotrophic cycle aft er they mated with males of the same taxon. If they were fertilized by males of an anautogenous taxon, they blood-fed even during the first gonotrophic cycle. Autogenous egg development in these females was not prevented by fertilization by male Cx. quinquefasciatus or Cx, pipien s s. str. Thus, Cx, molestus were able to lay autogenous egg rafts if they were fertilized by a male of another taxon. While autogenous egg development is fully dependent on genetically determined physiological conditions of the female only, the hematophagous behavior of the auto genous Cx. molestus female is more or less influenced by the physiolog ical type of the male, the sperm of which the female receives. Some po ssible differences between ''autogenous'' and ''anautogenous'' males a re also discussed.