SYNERGISM BETWEEN CHEMICAL ATTRACTANTS AND VISUAL CUES INFLUENCING OVIPOSITION OF THE MOSQUITO, CULEX-QUINQUEFASCIATUS (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE)

Physical factors, such as the color of the oviposition substrate, have seldom been compared with chemical cues in their ability to elicit ov iposition behavior in mosquitoes. The role of dyed oviposition waters in attracting ovipositing Culex quinquefasciatus was examined in labor atory experiments. Oviposition waters dyed with ink were found to be s ignificantly attractive to ovipositing Cx. quinquefasciatus when compa red to distilled water controls. Experiments demonstrated that the mos quitoes were responding to the increased optical density of the dyed o viposition water rather than volatile components of the dye. Ink was a lso considered in combination with chemical oviposition cues, No compa rative data exist on the effect of physical and chemical factors prese nted together on the oviposition behavior of Cx. quinquefasciatus. Wat ers dyed with ink acted synergistically with a five-component chemical attractant mixture (3-methylindole, indole, 4-methylphenol, 4-ethylph enol, and phenol) in inducing oviposition in a 2 x 2 factorial experim ent.