DIEL RHYTHMS OF OVIPOSITION AND FECUNDITY OF ANOPHELES AQUASALIS (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE) UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS

The oviposition patterns of Anopheles aquasalis Curry collected from a grass swamp in Gloudon, Caroni Swamp, Trinidad, were studied in the l aboratory by recording the egg-laying performance of 30 individuals an d a group of 150 females at 2-h intervals. Oviposition was nocturnal, with a peak between 2400 and 0400 hours when 72% of the eggs were laid . Wild-caught females engorged on human blood matured 89.8 +/- 21.3 fo llicles (range, 50-118). These findings provide vector control workers with the opportunity to maximize the effect of adulticides on An. aqu asalis populations by restricting their operations to tile time of pea k flight activity.