Anopheles Egg Collection, Disinfection, and Hatching
- 1Entomology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA
- 2CDC Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia 30308, USA
- ↵4Correspondence: mbenedict{at}cdc.gov
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↵3 These authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract
Gravid (i.e., with fully developed eggs), mated Anopheles females typically lay their eggs directly on water ∼48–72 h after a blood meal. Unlike some other mosquito species, Anopheles eggs cannot be desiccated and stored for long durations, and, hence, colonies must be reared continuously. In this protocol, we discuss methods for egg collection, including individual and en masse oviposition; egg disinfection to avoid the transmission of infectious agents to the next generation; and egg hatching for colony maintenance or experimentation. We also include optional methods for estimating life history traits such as fecundity, fertility, and larval mortality rates from egg counts.
Footnotes
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From the Mosquitoes collection, edited by Laura B. Duvall and Benjamin J. Matthews.
