Chemosterilization and its Permanency in Mosquitoes

Abstract

THE use of sexual sterilization as an instrument for insect control has received increasing attention in recent years. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the progress in this field is the effective evaluation in the laboratory of chemosterilants on a broad spectrum of insects. The mosquito can be affected by these compounds either in the larval or adult stages¹. Although Aedes aegypti (L.) can be sterilized in the larval stage by ‘Apholate’, the competitiveness of the resulting males or the effectiveness of their sperm is sub-normal². However, males sterilized by ‘Apholate’ as adults are highly competitive³. The possibility that the permanency of sterility might also be dependent on the stage receiving treatment has been investigated and the results are presented herein along with further findings on effective dosages and methods of application.