Term of Award

1982

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biology

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Department

Department of Biology

Committee Chair

W. Keith Hartling

Committee Member 1

Sara N. Bennett

Committee Member 2

Richard L. Osburn

Abstract

Aedes aegypti is a vector of yellow fever and dengue. In order to understand the epidemiology of these vectorborne diseases and to develop appropriate control measures, identifying actual and potential vectors is essential. This is often difficult in Ae. aegypti as vector populations may overlap with non-vector populations. To distinguish between populations of Ae. aegypti, this study proposes a combination of enzyme and morphotypic analysis.

Twelve populations of Ae. aegypti were examined by cellulose acetate electrophoresis, McClelland's (1974) system of classifying abdominal tergite scale pattern, and Meeks' (1978) system of abdominal tergite scale pattern classification. The twelve populations were also examined to determine the frequencies of the mutations speck and haltere.

Electrophoretic analysis revealed significant variability in the enzymes isocitrate dehydrogenase and hexokinase. The variability in these two enzymes was sufficient to allow separation of strains and geographical groups. In the twelve strains examined, no variability was found for phosphoglucomutase.

Meeks' system of abdominal tergite scale pattern classification was successful in separating geographical groups but intragroup variability was generally insufficient to permit separation of populations. McClelland's classification system was found unsatisfactory for this study.

The mutants speck and haltere were not useful in separating the populations analyzed. The speck mutation showed little variability in frequency while the haltere mutation occurred in only two of the twelve populations.

OCLC Number

1032809345

Copyright

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