EFFECTS OF VARIATION IN QUALITY OF LEAF DETRITUS ON GROWTH OF THE EASTERN TREE-HOLE MOSQUITO, AEDES TRISERIATUS (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE)

Growth of larvae of the eastern tree-hole mosquito, Aedes triseriatus (Say), measured as survival to adulthood, development time, and body m ass at adult emergence, was significantly better when larvae were prov ided with fresh rather than senescent beech leaves as food substrate. Leaf type affected larval growth performance independently of ration o f leaf available per larva when the ration level was high and larvae w ere not densely crowded, but leaf type and ration level had interactiv e effects on larval growth performance when ration was more limiting a nd larvae denser. Fresh leaves contained about twice as much nitrogen, had a lower carbon:nitrogen ratio, leached more mass into water, and contained significantly more soluble protein and carbohydrate than did senescent leaves. Thus, the observed growth responses could be explai ned on the basis of variation in nutrient content of, and greater leac hing from, the fresh leaves. Larval growth was also significantly bett er on intact senescent beech leaves than on leaves that had been leach ed to remove soluble protein and carbohydrate; it was also significant ly better on leaves whose surfaces had flourishing bacterial growth th an on leaves with disinfected surfaces. Growth of female larvae fit we ll a pupation window model where larvae attained a minimum mass to eme rgence past a minimum development time across a range of leaf substrat es varying in quality and quantity.