DURATION OF LARVAL AND PUPAL DEVELOPMENT STAGES OF AEDES-ALBOPICTUS IN NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL CONTAINERS

Aedes albopictus were reared in different containers: a tree hole, a b amboo stump and an auto tire. The total times from egg hatching to adu lt emergence were of 19.6, 27.3 and 37.5 days, respectively, according to the container. The fi rst, second and third-instar larvae presente d growth periods with highly similar durations. The fourth-instar larv ae was longer than the others stages. The pupation time was longer tha n the fourth-instar larvae growth period. The temperature of the breed ing sites studied, which was of 18 degrees n C to 22 degrees C on aver age, was also taken into consideration. The mortality of the immature stages was analysed and compared as between the experimental groups; i t was lower in the natural containers than in the discarded tire. The average wing length of adult females emerging from tree hole was signi ficantly larger (p<0.05) than that of those emerging from the tire.