Adult body size and survivorship in a field population of Aedes triseriatus

Aedes triseriatus pupae, host-seeking, and ovipositing females were collected at a southern Wisconsin site endemic for La Crosse encephalitis virus. The host-seeking and ovipositing females were age-graded by the Detinova and Polovodova techniques, respectively. Wing lengths were determined for all mosquitoes. Wing lengths of the mosquitoes collected as pupae were predicted from pupal weight by a simple regression equation. There was significant seasonal variation in body size of adult females, but no strong evidence that increased size was advantageous to survival. It is concluded therefore that the potential length of infective life is not affected by the size of the adult female.