The diel oviposition periodicity of Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) in the laboratory: density disturbance.

The diel oviposition periodicities of the LSHTM and Trinidad strains of Aedes aegypti were studied under laboratory conditions, using different mosquito densities in the cages and monitoring at 2-h intervals. With both strains, the peak in oviposition occurred earlier in the day when there was only one female in a test cage (16.00-18.00 hours) than when 25 or 500 females were held in a cage (18.00-20.00 hours). It therefore appears that the numbers of females in the cages can affect the diel oviposition periodicity of Ae. aegypti in the laboratory and that, therefore, caution is necessary when using and comparing data from related laboratory studies in which the ovipositing mosquitoes have been held at various densities.