Reproductive biology of Lutzomyia shannoni (Dyar) (Diptera : Psychodidae) under experimental conditions

Baseline biological growth data of Lutzomyia shannoni (Dyar) were compared under two experimental conditions within insulated styrofoam chests and in standard laboratory incubators. The developmental time from egg to adult wa s 67 and 52 days, respectively. Based on cohorts of 100 females in each exp eriment, horizontal life tables were constructed. The following predictive parameters were obtained under each of the two conditions: net rate of repr oduction (23.5 and 18.0 females per cohort female), generation time (11.4 a nd 9.4 weeks), intrinsic rate of population increase (0.27 and 0.30), and f inite rate of population increment (1.31 and 1.36). The reproductive value for each class age of the cohort females was calculated. The observed param eters were obtained under each experimental condition: net rate of reproduc tion (1.9 and 2.5 females per cohort female), generation time (11.7 and 9.6 weeks), intrinsic rate of population increase (0.05 and 0.09), and finite rate of population increment (1.06 and 1.10). Vertical life tables were ela borated and mortality was described for every generation in each cohort. In addition, for two successive generations, additive variance and heritabili ty for fecundity were estimated.