Seasonal variation in body size of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in a rice culture agroecosystem

Determined whether wing lengths of Culex tarsalis and Anopheles freeborni varied seasonally; whether size was associated with abundances; and if individuals of a particular size could be associated with riparian, pasture, or rice field habitats within the rice culture agroecosystem of N California. Size of both male and female C. tarsalis increased as the season progressed. Size of female A. freeborni also increased significantly throughout the season. Abundance was not correlated with average wing length nor could any habitat be significantly associated with a particular size group. Environmental effects (eg water temperature and seasonal availability of larval nutrients) are thus more important in determining individual size than the density-dependent processes that regulate the size of mosquitoes that breed in small containers. -from Authors