Effects of varying photoperiodic regimens on oviposition behavior of Anopheles subpictus and Culex quinquefasciatus

Abstract

Environmental factors influence the mosquito behavior, particularly the oviposition behavior. Therefore, understanding the response of mosquitoes to their environmental conditions like photoperiod, humidity, rainfall, etc., can lead to more precise predictions of transmission cycles which help in the development of more effective vector control strategies. To understand the importance of photoperiod in determining the oviposition cycle of Anopheles subpictus and Culex quinquefasciatus, experiments were conducted under different conditions of normal light (LD 12: 12), reversed photoperiod (DL 12: 12) and continuous light (24 LL) for three consecutive days. It was noticed that ovipositional activity was exclusively restricted to the scotophase. When both the mosquito species were exposed to reverse photoperiod, the oviposition activity also reversed but they showed an erratic oviposition behavior when exposed to 24 h light condition. Understanding the oviposition behavior of mosquito species may favor to design and develop new vector control strategies.