Aspects related to productivity for four generations of a Lutzomyia longipalpis laboratory colony

A closed colony of Lutzomyia longipalpis was established with specimens col lected in the Raposa-Serra a do Sol indian reservoir, one of the main foci of visceral leishmaniasis in the State of Roraima, Brazil. Biological obser vations were made on four generations of a L. longipalpis colony with empha sis on productivity Aspects studied were the number of laid and retained eg gs, and the number of adults (male and female) per generation. During the f our generations the percentage of engorged females that laid eggs varied fr om 64.2% (third generation-F3) to 90.3% (second generation-F2). The mean nu mber of eggs laid per female varied from 23.6 (F3) to 39.9 (first generatio n-FI). The maximum number- of eggs laid per female varied from 84 (F3) to 1 24 (F1). The mean number of retained eggs per female was 12.7 (parental gen eration-P and F1) to 22.1 (F2). The number of females exceeded the number o f males in all generations. However; significant difference for male/female ratio was found only for F3. Fecundity rates were between 42.1 (F3) and 58 .3 (F2). From a total of 439 blood-fed females, 355 females laid 12, 257 eg gs that yield 5,354 adults (2,525 males and 2,829 females) in four generati ons. F2 presented maximum productivity and fecundity rates.