Effects of Mating and Sugar Feeding on the Expression of Autogeny in Crabhole Mosquitoes of the Genus Deinocerites (Diptera: Culicidae)1

Autogeny was much more prevalent in a temperate than in a tropical population of Deinocerites pseudes . Most sugarfed De. pseudes females did not initiate autogenous egg development until after mating. High proportions (>90%) of autogeny were found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate-zone populations of Deinocerites cancer . Either sugar feeding or mating triggered egg development in De. cancer, but sugar-fed females produced more eggs. Whether sugar-fed or not, unmated De. cancer females developed eggs after blood feeding. Thus 3 factors, blood feeding, sugar feeding, or mating, can independently stimulate the production of the initial egg clutch in De. cancer .