Low rates of multiple fertilization in parous Anopheles albimanus.

Abstract

We determined how frequently parous female Anopheles albimanus fertilize their eggs with sperm from more than one male. To establish paternity we relied on 2 phenotypically distinct laboratory strains. Nulliparous females were allowed to mate freely with males from one strain, and after oviposition they were offered a 2nd mating with males of the other strain. Fertilization patterns were determined by the phenotypes of offspring. Only 0.6% of females ovipositing for a 2nd time (n = 312) used sperm from the 2nd male, as did 4% of females completing a 3rd gonotrophic cycle (n = 25). In this species receptivity is not routinely renewed following oviposition.