UTILIZATION OF BLOODFED FEMALES OF AEDES-AEGYPTI AS A VEHICLE FOR THETRANSFER OF THE INSECT GROWTH-REGULATOR PYRIPROXYFEN TO LARVAL HABITATS

Bloodfed female Aedes aegypti were exposed to a surface treated with p yriproxyfen at 1.0 g/m2 for 30 min and then allowed to lay eggs in cup s of water containing 4th-instar larvae. Adult emergence from the imma tures was highly inhibited, and transmission of pyriproxyfen from the females to the water was revealed. The transfer of the chemical to the water decreased with time before the blood meal. Chemical analysis fo r pyriproxyfen on the exoskeleton of treated females demonstrated the rapid disappearance of the compound. Pyriproxyfen obviously affected e gg maturation of females treated before blood meals, as the number of eggs deposited decreased concurrently with the number of days before t he blood meals.