Hematofagia y autogenia en el Complejo Culex pipiens (Diptera, Culicidae) de Córdoba

The objective of this paper was to study blood feeding and autogeny of Culex pipiens pipiens L., 1758 and Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus Say, 1823 from Córdoba province, Argentina. Insects of both subspecies collected in the field were reared in the laboratory. Cohorts of 100 individuals (50 males and 50 females) were fed with either sugar+blood or sugar. The following variables were measured: mean lifetime of adults; blood atad sugar intake weight; number of laid eggs; survival of eggs, larvae and pupae; sex ratio of newly emerged adults. Both subspecies showed autogeny. However, quinquefasciatus had the greater blood intake index and pipiens showed more autogeny. The blood feeding treatment produced the greater mean lifetime, number of laid eggs and egg survival. Although blood feeding assures a high survival of eggs, larvae and pupae, total preadult survival was greater in autogeic individuals. No significant differences between treatments werefound in adult emergence percentage and sex ratio. Subspecies pipiens had the highest survival and the greatest blood-intake weight under both treatments. Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus laid more eggs than pipiens, in the blood feeding treatment.