Anopheles culicifacies 1 : Mating Behavior and Competitiveness in Nature of Males Carrying a Complex Chromosomal Aberration

Abstract

Males of Anopheles culicifacies Giles carrying a complex chromosomal rearrangement in a laboratory adapted genetic background (In-l/T-1) were released at a cattle compound in rural Punjab Province, Pakistan, to test their mating competitiveness (e) against both the released virgin male progeny of wild caught females (WC) and endemic (UM) males for released laboratory-adapted (KB) and WC females. When In-l/T-1 ♂ ♂, WC ♀ ♀ and KB ♀ â♀ were entrained on an aberrant insectary photoperiod, the In-l/T-1 ♂ ♂ were supercompetitive (e>l); however, when reared under a natural photoperiod, In-l/T-1 ♂ ♂ were equally competitive (e = 1). Throughout there was no significant difference in e estimated by either WC or KB females, indicating that an aberrant mating behavior had not been selected during colonization and insectary maintenance. Most released females mated in the immediate vicinity of the diurnal resting site during or just after the crepuscular egress. Few UM ♀ ♀, or WC ♀ ♀ released as pupae at a breeding site, were inseminated by In-l/T-1 ♂ ♂ indicating that some mating must occur elsewhere or at different times of the night.