LIFE-CYCLE AND INFLUENCE OF AGE AND FEEDING ON THE 1ST MATING OF TRIATOMA-MAZOOTTII (HEMIPTERA, REDUVIIDAE)

A cohort of 100 eggs of Triatoma mazzottii Usinger was studied to obta in information on its life cycle. Egg incubation took 24 days, mean du ration of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th instar nymphs was 27, 36, 39, 46 , and 64 days respectively, mean time from egg to adult was 236 days. The total duration of the nymphal stages was 212 days. The total nymph mortality in cohort was 16.3%, and the embryonic egg mortality was 14 .0%. The greater mortality occurred in the 2nd instar. The average num ber of eggs/female/week was 9.8 during 15 weeks of observation. Of the total eggs laid (2,514), only 58.7% hatched The total of insects that achieved the adult stage (72), 38 were females (52.8%), and 34 were m ales (47.2%). The influence of age and feeding on the first mating of T. mazzottii were also studied. It was found that the first mating dep ended on the male's age and it was on the average 30 days after the la st imaginal molt. The female could be mating since 2nd days after the imaginal life. The nutritional status did not play an important role i n the capacity of the insect for the first mating.