SWARMING AND MATING OF SOME CALIFORNIA MOSQUITOES

Among mosquitoes in California there are degrees of o swarming, usually associated with mating. Swarming behavior is absent in Culiseta inornata, is a crepuscular activity in Aedes nigromaculis and A. melanimon, and is a continual diurant activity in A. ventrovittis. Mating behavior varies among these 3 groups. In C. inornata mating occurred immediately or soon after o emergence, and mating pairs remained in copulo for several hours. Sperm transfer required a relatively long time. In the Aedes species copulation and insemination took place in a very few seconds. Most mating occurred in vegetation. Flying and biting of Aedes oq coincided with o swarming and most insemination occurred during this period. In all species, mating almost always preceded the taking of a blood meal.