FECUNDITY OF THE BLOOD-FEEDING INSECT RHODNIUS-PROLIXUS INCREASES IN SUCCESSIVE PERIODS OF EGG-PRODUCTION

The fecundity of the blood-feeding insect, Rhodnius prolixus, was obse rved to increase in successive periods of egg production, each period being triggered by a single large blood meal. As previously published, the fecundity of mated animals was significantly higher than that of unmated animals for the first period of egg production. For a second p eriod of egg production, fecundity increased significantly in both mat ed and unmated animals. By the fourth period, fecundity had returned t o first-feed values for mated animals, but remained high for unmated-a nimals, and the fecundity of mated and unmated animals was not signifi cantly different. Thus, during successive periods of egg production, t he processes which maintain fecundity of unmated animals below that of mated animals are overcome.