Factors affecting Coelomomyces stegomyiae infections in adult Aedes aegypti

Abstract

Coelomomyces stegomyiae usually kills its definitive mosquito host, Aedes aegypti, in its fourth and final larval instar. Infected larvae that survive through the pupal stage produce infected adults. The results reported here demonstrate that production of infected adults is significantly affected by larval instar and inoculum (fungal zygotes) at the time of infection and rearing temperature following infection. Larvae infected at the third instar (71%) produce more infected adult mosquitoes than those infected at either first (3.7%) or second (9.0%) instars. More infected adult mosquitoes were produced from larvae infected at either second or third instars when these were reared at 30 C (59 and 86%) following infection as opposed to 18 (0 and 5.3%), 22 (2 and 14%) or 26 C (8.3 and 51%). Infected male and female mosquito larvae were equally likely to produce infected adults.

Key Words:

• Blastocladiales
• Chytridiomycetes
• Culicidae
• Diptera
• insect pathology
• mosquito