Vitamin Requirements of the Larval Mosquito, Culex pipiens1

Abstract

When thiamine, nicotinic acid, pyridoxine, or calcium pantothenate was singly omitted from an adequate, fully-defined, aseptic dietary medium, newly-hatched larvae were unable to grow beyond the 2nd instar. In the absence of riboflavin, folic acid, biotin or choline, a few larvae developed to pupae, but most died as 3rd or 4th instars. Minimal concentrations of the essential vitamins required initially in the medium for optimal growth were established and compared with similar data in the literature for another mosquito.