Diel rhythms of oviposition and fecundity of Anopheles aquasalis (Diptera: Culicidae) under laboratory conditions

The oviposition patterns of Anopheles aquasalis Curry collected from a grass swamp in Gloudon, Caroni Swamp, Trinidad, were studied in the laboratory by recording the egg-laying performance of 30 individuals and a group of 150 females at 2-h intervals. Oviposition was nocturnal, with a peak between 2400 and 0400 hours when 72% of the eggs were laid. Wild-caught females engorged on human blood matured 89.8 +/- 21.3 follicles (range, 50-118). These findings provide vector control workers with the opportunity to maximize the effect of adulticides on An. aquasalis populations by restricting their operations to tile time of peak flight activity.