DISTENSION AND SUGAR FEEDING INDUCE AUTOGENOUS EGG DEVELOPMENT BY THEASIAN TIGER MOSQUITO (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE)

Mechanisms initiating autogenous egg development were studied using a selected strain of Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse), tha t required a sugar meal to develop eggs autogenously. Caloric intake a nd the abdominal distention produced by ingesting sucrose solutions we re interrelated in their effects on autogeny. Distention of the abdome n with 2 mu l of saline, with no caloric intake, induced autogenous eg g maturation in 66% of the Females. Abdominal distention produced by 2 mu l of saline did not induce egg development if the ventral nerve co rd was transected. However, eggs were produced when females ingested 2 00 mu g of sucrose in 2 mu l of water following ventral nerve cord tra nsection. A meal containing at least 100 mu g of sucrose was required for egg development if abdominal distention was <1 mu l. Mating influe nced autogeny in only 10% of tile population. Neither distention, calo ric intake nor mating affected the number of eggs that matured.