LARVAL REARING WATER AND PREEXISTING EGGS INFLUENCE OVIPOSITION BY AEDES-AEGYPTI AND AE-ALBOPICTUS (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE)

Two-choice laboratory bioassays were used to evaluate oviposition resp onses of gravid Aedes aegypti (L.) and Ae. albopictus (Skuse) to larva l rearing water and eggs from prior egg deposition. Oviposition respon ses by female Ae. aegypti were similar between larval water from Ae. a egypti and water controls but significantly greater to larval water fr om Ae. albopictus (12.2%) compared with water controls. Oviposition by Ae. albopictus females increased significantly in response to larval water from either species compared with water controls with increases of 15.1% to Ae. aegypti larval water and 17.6% to Ae. albopictus larva l water. Oviposition responses of gravid Ae, aegypti and Ae. albopictu s were evaluated in the presence of preexisting conspecific and hetero specific eggs on strips of oviposition paper. Significantly more eggs were laid by gravid Ae. aegypti females on oviposition paper containin g either Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus eggs than on oviposition paper without eggs. In contrast, oviposition responses of gravid Ae, albopic tus females were unaffected by the presence of eggs of either species.