The Behaviour of Larvae and Pupae of Aedes Aegypti (L.) in Light and Temperature Gradients

Summary

Experiments with second-, third- and fourth-instar larvae of Aëdes aegypti (L.), as well as pupae, were carried out to determine their behaviour in temperature and light gradients in an experimental trough.

When second-instar larvae are subjected to a temperature gradient from 42°C. at one end of the trough to 8°C. at the other, the majority of larvae aggregate over the range of temperature 23–32°C. Third- and fourth-instar larvae and pupae, however, show a marked preference for the range of temperature between 28–32°C.

When subjected to a light gradient from 1·08 log foot-lamberts to log foot-lamberts, second- and third-instar larvae show no marked preference for any one light intensity. The majority of fourth-instar larvae, however, aggregate in the darkest region of the trough, and this negative phototactic reaction is very pronounced in the pupae. This behaviour is probably correlated with the development of sense organs as the larvae grow. In the case of light gradients, it is likely that the increasing negative phototactic reaction is due to the increasing sensitivity of the imaginal compound eye which starts developing in the early larval instars and reaches an advanced stage in the pupa.