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Geographical and developmental components of adult size of neotropical Anopheles ( Nyssorhynchus )
Author(s) -
LOUNIBOS L.P.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
ecological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.865
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2311
pISSN - 0307-6946
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1994.tb00403.x
Subject(s) - biology , anopheles , host (biology) , wing , zoology , ecology , larva , malaria , engineering , immunology , aerospace engineering
.1 Wing lengths were used as indicators of size of host‐seeking females of four species of malaria vectors captured at human or animal baits in South America. 2 Geographic variation in size was observed among populations of Anopheles aquasalis and A.nuneztovari , but not A.albitarsis or A.triannulatus.3 The frequency distributions of wing lengths in large collections of host‐seeking A.aquasalis and A.albitarsis exhibited significant negative skewness, suggesting that the preponderance of biting females approached maximum size. 4 Relationships between season or physiological state (parity, blood, eggs) and the sizes of host‐seeking females were not generally significant. 5 When A.aquasalis, A.albitarsis and A.nuneztovari were reared separately at two larval densities, initial density, but not species, significantly affected wing lengths. Significant species × density interactions may be attributable to species‐specific responses to density. 6 Compared to other mosquitoes, the sizes of host‐seeking Anopheles ( Nyssorhynchus ) varied little within natural populations. Laboratory studies on the fitness of unnaturally small malaria vectors may bear little relevance to the fitness of host‐seeking Anopheles in nature.