Anopheles culicifacies Giles:1 Mating Behavior and Competitiveness in Nature of Chemosterilized Males Carrying a Genetic Sexing System

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Abstract
Chemosterilized Anopheles culicifacies Giles males carrying a Y-linked, dieldrin genetic sexing device (D-13) were released concomitantly with a laboratory-adapted strain (SAT) and the progeny of wild-caught females (KB) as pupae through a self-dusting device positioned at a breeding site near Kot Baghicha Singh Walla, Pakistan during April 1980. Some dusted SAT and KB ♀ ♀ were also released as virgin adults inside diurnal cattle shed resting sites. Emerging D-13 ♂ ♂ behaved similarly to endemic unmarked males (UM); i.e., they rested outdoors until sexually mature, immigrated into a cattle-shed compound where they swarmed with UM ♂ ♂ and rested indoors on the following day in equal proportions to swarm composition. In addition, equal proportions of D-13 and UM ♂ ♂ mated at each collection site. However, estimates of mating competitiveness based on the fertility of egg batches from individual SAT, KB and UM ♀ ♀ were statistically less than one, suggesting that D-13 ♂ ♂ were less competitive in nature, although equally competitive under laboratory conditions.