THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS TO IMPROVE LABORATORY REARING CONDITIONS OF CULEX PIPIENS L. (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE)

A.N. HASSAN
Dept. Biological and Natural Sciences, Institute of Environmental Studies and Research,
Am Shams University

ABSTRACT

Heavy larval mortality, asynchronous development and decreased pupation rates were observed during laboratory maintenance of Culex pipiens L., the main vector of filariasis in Egypt . Three commercially available antibiotics, i.e. amblosin, erythrocin and tetracid, were added to rearing water and tested. Both axnblosin and erythrocin (0.5 mg/mI) were capable of improving the rearing conditions as indicated by synchronous larval and pupal development and decreased generation time. Pupation rate increased from 57% to 90-94% following the addition of the antibiotics. On the contrary, tetracid killed all Cx. pipiens larvae even at concentrations as low as 0.06 mg/mI.
It is suggested to use amblosin or erythrocin in the laboratory maintenance of Cx. pipiens to control possible microbial infections and to enable researchers to obtain large numbers of adults of similar age which are essential for laboratory studies.

Key Words: Antibiotics, Culex pipiens, Diptra: Culicidae.