Observations on the Swarming and Mating of Some Pakistan Mosquitoes in Nature

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Abstract
Swarming and mating behavior is described for 10 species of Pakistan mosquitoes at 5 villages in Punjab Province from Dec. 1975 through Dec. 1976. Swarming commenced with the onset of twilight and was completed shortly after or just before dark (< 1.1 lux). The time when swarming started was inversely correlated with temperature. Swarms were not observed during dawn on 15 occasions at one locality. Pairing was frequently observed in Anopheles culicifacies and Culex pipiens fatigans during cold, but not the warm seasons, and was infrequent in the remaining 8 species. In A. culicifacies and C. p. fatigans, the increase in pairing at swarms during winter seemed related to changes in other diel behavioral rhythms which tended to bring flying virgin females in contact with male swarms.