AUTOGENY AND STENOGAMY OF AEDES REMPELI (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) IN ARCTIC CANADA

Abstract

Acrobasis comptoniella Hulst is univoltine in Michigan. Adults emerge in early July and the females deposit small egg clusters usually on the underside of the leaves of sweet-fern (Comptonia peregrina (L.) Coult.). Larval eclosion occurs about 2 weeks later; there are five instars. The young larvae construct small silken cases and feed on the epidermis and mesophyll of the leaf until late October. Then the larvae, mostly second instars, move to the stems and construct hibernacula in which they overwinter. They vacate the hibernacula in late April, construct frass-covered silken cases, and feed on the leaves until mid-June. Pupation occurs inside the silken case in mid-June. At least 19 species of parasites have been reared from A. comptoniella.