AGE AND BODY-SIZE EFFECTS ON BLOOD MEAL SIZE AND MULTIPLE BLOOD-FEEDING BY AEDES-AEGYPTI (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE)

Ten-day-old, parous Aedes aegypti (L.) had a higher threshold of blood meal size for the inhibition of continued host-seeking than did 5-d-o ld, nulliparous females of the same size. Older females of a smaller-b odied cohort had a higher threshold of blood meal size for the initiat ion of egg development than did younger females. In contrast, older la rger-sized females had a lower blood meal-size threshold for egg devel opment. The blood of paired avian hosts was marked with rubidium and c esium to study the effect of age and body size on the frequency of mul tiple blood feeding. Chronologically old females had a higher frequenc y of multiple blood feeding than younger females. In the laboratory, t he frequency of multiple blood feeding among larger-sized females was higher than among small-sized females.