Effects of gamma radiation on the activity of the mosquito culex pipiens L. II. Effects on the sexual vitality of the mosquito

Abstract

The effects of 3 gamma doses on the sex vitality of the mosquito Culex pipiens L. were studied after irradiation of the larvae, pupae or newly emerged adults. No significant effect on the sex attraction was obseived when irradiation was done at the larval or adult stages with 40 Gray. However, there was a clear effect of radiation at all doses tested on the attraction of males to females when they were irradiated in the pupal stage. At 80 and 120 Gray, there was a significant decrease, when irradiation was carried out in the adult stage. When adults were irradiated at the larval stage, there was a decrease in insemination ability of the males irradiated at 40 Gray when caged with normal or irradiated females. This effect was increased when normal males were caged with irradiated females. At all mating combinations the insemination ability of adult mosquitoes irradiated at the pupal stage was decreased with increasing the dose. When males were irradiated and confined with normal or irradiated females the insemination ability was less than when females were irradiated and confined with normal males, at all the doses tested. When newly emerged adults were irradiated at 40 Gray there was no effect on the male insemination ability. At 80 and 120 Gray, there was a slight effect on insemination ability of the male. As a whole, the effect of all doses on females was higher than on males. When adults were irradiated at the larval stage, there was a clear decrease in insemination frequency of the male irradiated at 40 Gray when caged with normal or irradiated females. At all mating combinations the insemination frequency of ………..