PHOTOPERIOD AND LONGEVITY IN ANOPHELES-CRUCIANS

The effect of photoperiod on longevity of nondiapausing members of Ano pheles crucians was evaluated in laboratory experiments. First-generat ion adults reared from field collections illustrated the same trends. Individuals reared and maintained under short photoperiod (either 8 h light: 16 h dark or 11 h light: 13 h dark) lived longer than did those reared and maintained under long photoperiod (either 16 h light: 8 h dark or 15 h light: 9 h dark). Analysis of covariance showed that the greater longevity of short-photoperiod mosquitoes was not caused by th eir larger average body size. Also, a paired t-test confirmed the effe ct of photoperiod, independent of body size, on longevity; in mosquito es paired according to thorax length, short-photoperiod individuals li ved longer than did long-photoperiod individuals of the same sex and c ohort. The reason short-photoperiod mosquitoes of this species live lo nger is not known.