title: Effect of laval breeding conditions on the morphological, ovarian and behavioral characteristics of Anopheles pharoensis of the emerged females.
abstract: Under laboratory conditions, morphological, ovarian and behavioral characteristics of Anopheles pharoensis females were found to be affected by a combination of 3 larval environmental factors: quantity of food, density of larvae and salinity of the rearing medium. Size and weight of the emerged females were decreased by lowering the quantity of food (basic ration), increasing the population density of larvae (200 larvae/pan) and increasing the salinity of the rearing medium (1/5 dilution of Sea water). Embryogenesis and behavior of the female were also affected by the larval environmental factors; the female emerged with the undeveloped stag of the ovaries (Christophers's stage I), needs a multiple feeding with 2 blood meals required, at times, to reach the gravid stage and produce the first batch of eggs. The female emerged with fewer number of ovarian follicles and thus affecting the number of produced eggs. The emerged female takes as maximum 4 blood meals to lay 3 batches of eggs during the life cycle (8 days).
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: el-Akad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology; D010053:Ovary / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D012098:Reproduction