Exigências térmicas de Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera, Culicidae) em Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil Thermal requeriments of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera, Culicidae) in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

The thermal requeriments of Culex quinquefasciatus (Say, 1823) and the number of generations in the year are determined. The colony to obtain eggs, larvae, pupae and adults was established under laboratory conditions. Every stage was maintained at constant temperature (15, 20, 25 and 30ºC), in cameras, with relative humidity of 80% ± 5 and photophase of 12 hours, to settle down the thermal inferior limit and the thermal constant by the method of the hiperbole. The thermal inferior limit to phase of egg, larvae and pupa were respectively 10.0, 9.1 and 10.2ºC, and 10.2ºC to all the aquatic cycle, with a thermal constant of 207.2 degree-day, with the mean of 15.5 generations per year in Pelotas, State of Rio Grande do Sul.

Keywords

• Culex
• Culicidae
• thermal requirements