title: Photoperiod and the relationship between wing length and body weight in Anopheles quadrimaculatus.
abstract: The effect of photoperiod on wing length, body weight, and relationship between wing length and body weight was investigated in the mosquito species Anopheles quadrimaculatus. Individuals reared under a short photoperiod (8 h light: 16 h dark) had longer wings and larger weights than did those reared under a long photoperiod (16 h light: 8 h dark). Covariance analysis showed that photoperiod and wing length interacted so that photoperiod did not have a uniform effect on body weight at all wing lengths. At small mosquito sizes, body weight was higher in short than in long-photoperiod individuals of the same wing length, but at large mosquito sizes, body weight was higher in long than in short-photoperiod individuals of the same wing length. Thus, among smaller mosquitoes of this species, wings were disproportionately longer in long-photoperiod individuals, but among larger mosquitoes, wings were disproportionately longer in short-photoperiod individuals. These results, together with previous studies, suggest that photoperiod and temperature have similar effects on the developing insect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lanciani
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D017440:Photoperiod; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*