Field Survival, Migration and Ovipositional Characteristics of Laboratory-Reared Toxorhynchites Rutilus Rutilus (Diptera: Culicidae)1

Abstract

Three hundred and fifty 6-day-old laboratoryreared adult Toxorhyuchites rutilus rutilus were released on 2 occasions in a sparsely wooded 5.3-ha residential area in Gainesville, Florida. Oviposition was monitored for 14 days after each release by using a grid of 64 oviposition traps located within the residential area and surrounding woods (total of 12.6 ha). Eggs were deposited in an average of 70% of the ovitraps. Despite migration of females into the surrounding woods at a rate of about 6% per day, an average of 80% of the eggs recovered were laid in the residential area. Daily adult survival was estimated as 0.795 and lifetime egg production per female released as 4.88.