Adult cohorts and immature stages were kept under field conditions during the autumn and winter of three consecutive years. Survival, oviposition and development time from egg to adult were considered. The adult cohorts were studied under three experimental conditions: unfed cohorts, cohorts fed with sugar solution ansd cohorts fed with both sugar solution and blood (chicken). Female longevity showed significant differences among the three treatments. Females of unfed cohorts lived up to three weeks; females fed with sugar solution survived until six weeks, while those fed both with sugar and blood lived at most fourteen weeks; after the blood intake eggs were laid. In the immature stages, the highest relative mortality rates occurred during the egg and larval stages. Total pre-adult mortality varied between 59.09 and 89.71%. The developmental duration from egg to adult was between 43-62 days; there were no differences among results obtained for the three years.

In order to classify mosquito immature stage habitats, samples were taken in 42 localities of Córdoba Province, Argentina, representing the phytogeographic regions of Chaco, Espinal and Pampa. Immature stage habitats were described and classified according to the following criteria: natural or artificial; size; location related to light and neighboring houses; vegetation; water: permanence, movement, turbidity and pH. Four groups of species were associated based on the habitat similarity by means of cluster analysis: Aedes albifasciatus, Culex saltanensis, Cx. mollis, Cx. brethesi, Psorophora ciliata, Anopheles albitarsis, and Uranotaenia lowii (Group A); Cx. acharistus, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. bidens, Cx. dolosus, Cx. maxi and Cx. apicinus (Group B); Cx. coronator, Cx. chidesteri, Mansonia titillans and Ps. ferox (Group C); Ae. fluviatilis and Ae. milleri (Group D). The principal component analysis (ordination method) pointed out that the different types of habitats, their nature (natural or artificial), plant species, water movement and depth are the main characters explaining the observed variation among the mosquito species. The distribution of mosquito species by phytogeographic region did not affect the species groups, since species belonging to different groups were collected in the same region.

In order to study the host preference of female mosquitoes, samples were taken fortnightly in Cordoba and Cosquin (Argentina), during October-April of two consecutive years. Four different vertebrates were used in baited-can traps: frogs, chickens, rabbits and turtles. The genus Culex acounted for 92.9% of the specimens collected, Aedes for 7.0% and Psorophora ciliata 0.02%. The highest proportion of females were collected in chicken traps (68.7%), followed by rabbit traps (29.9%), turtles (0.8%) and frogs (0.5%), thus the majority of the mosquitoes were collected in traps with homeotermous hosts. Only Culex dolosus fed on all the hosts. Culex acharistus, Cx. chidesteri and Cx. quinquefasciatus fed on chickens, rabbits and turtles. Aedes albifasciatus, Ae. scapularis, Cx. bidens and Cx. coronator fed on both homeotermous hosts. Culex apicinus, Cx. maxi, Cx. saltanensis and Cx. spinosus fed only on chickens and Ps. ciliata only on rabbits.

Con el propósito de estudiar la preferencia de hospedadores vertebrados por mosquitos hembras, durante 2 períodos octubre-abril (primavera-verano), se realizaron muestreos cada 15 días en Córdoba y Cosquín (Argentina). Se utilizaron trampas de latón con cebo animal: anfibios (sapos), aves (pollos), mamíferos (conejos) y reptiles (tortugas). El 92,9% de los especímenes recolectados pertenecen al género Culex, mientras que un 7,0% corresponde a Aedes y el 0,02% restante a Psorophora ciliata, única especie que se capturó de ese género. En trampas con pollo se recolectó el mayor número de hembras (68,7%), siguiendo en orden las trampas con conejos (29,9%), con tortugas (0,8%) y con sapos (0,5%), por lo tanto, la mayoría de los mosquitos entraron en las trampas con hospedadores homeotermos. Culex dolosus se alimentó sobre todos los cebos, mientras que Cx. acharistus, Cx. chidesteri y Cx. quinquefasciatus se alimentaron sobre pollos, conejos y tortugas; Ae. albifasciatus, Ae. scapularis, Cx. bidens y Cx. coronator lo hicieron sobre ambos hospedadores homeotermos; Cx. apicinus, Cx. maxi, Cx. saltanensis y Cx. spinosus se alimentaron solamente sobre pollos y Ps. ciliata sobre conejos.

Com o propósito de estudar a preferência de mosquitos fêmeas por hospedeiros vertebrados, realizaram-se amostragens quinzenais nas cidades de Córdoba e Cosquín (Argentina), durante o período de outubro a abril (primavera-verão), por dois anos consecutivos. Utilizaram-se armadilhas com iscas animais: anfíbios, aves, mamíferos e répteis. Dos espécimes coletados, 92,9% pertenciam ao gênero Culex, 7,0% a Aedes e 0,02% a Psorophora ciliata, única espécie coletada desse gênero. A maior proporçãoo de fêmeas (68,7%) foi capturada em armadilhas iscadas com galinhas, seguindo-se em ordem as armadilhas com coelhos (29,9%), com tartarugas (0,8%) e com anfíbios (0,05%). Assim, a maioria dos mosquitos foi coletada em armadilhas com hospedeiros homeotermos. Culex dolosus alimentou-se em todas as iscas, enquanto que Cx. acharistus, Cx. chidesteri e Cx. quinquefasciatus em galinhas, coelhos e tartarugas; Ae. albifasciatus, Ae. scapularis, Cx. bidens e Cx. coronator fizeram-no em ambos hospedeiros homeotermos; Cx. apicinus, Cx. maxi, Cx. saltanensis e Cx. spinosus alimentaram-se apenas em galinhas e Ps. ciliata em coelhos.

Com o propósito de estudar a preferência de mosquitos fêmeas por hospedeiros vertebrados, realizaram-se amostragens quinzenais nas cidades de Córdoba e Cosquín (Argentina), durante o período de outubro a abril (primavera-verão), por dois anos consecutivos. Utilizaram-se armadilhas com iscas animais: anfíbios, aves, mamíferos e répteis. Dos espécimes coletados, 92,9% pertenciam ao gênero Culex, 7,0% a Aedes e 0,02% a Psorophora ciliata, única espécie coletada desse gênero. A maior proporçãoo de fêmeas (68,7%) foi capturada em armadilhas iscadas com galinhas, seguindo-se em ordem as armadilhas com coelhos (29,9%), com tartarugas (0,8%) e com anfíbios (0,05%). Assim, a maioria dos mosquitos foi coletada em armadilhas com hospedeiros homeotermos. Culex dolosus alimentou-se em todas as iscas, enquanto que Cx. acharistus, Cx. chidesteri e Cx. quinquefasciatus em galinhas, coelhos e tartarugas; Ae. albifasciatus, Ae. scapularis, Cx. bidens e Cx. coronator fizeram-no em ambos hospedeiros homeotermos; Cx. apicinus, Cx. maxi, Cx. saltanensis e Cx. spinosus alimentaram-se apenas em galinhas e Ps. ciliata em coelhos.

In order to study the host preference of female mosquitoes, samples were taken fortnightly in Cordoba and Cosquin (Argentina), during October-April of two consecutive years. Four different vertebrates were used in baited-can traps: frogs, chickens, rabbits and turtles. The genus Culex acounted for 92.9% of the specimens collected, Aedes for 7.0% and Psorophora ciliata 0.02%. The highest proportion of females were collected in chicken traps (68.7%), followed by rabbit traps (29.9%), turtles (0.8%) and frogs (0.5%), thus the majority of the mosquitoes were collected in traps with homeotermous hosts. Only Culex dolosus fed on all the hosts. Culex acharistus, Cx. chidesteri and Cx. quinquefasciatus fed on chickens, rabbits and turtles. Aedes albifasciatus, Ae. scapularis, Cx. bidens and Cx. coronator fed on both homeotermous hosts. Culex apicinus, Cx. maxi, Cx. saltanensis and Cx. spinosus fed only on chickens and Ps. ciliata only on rabbits.

Con el propósito de estudiar la preferencia de hospedadores vertebrados por mosquitos hembras, durante 2 períodos octubre-abril (primavera-verano), se realizaron muestreos cada 15 días en Córdoba y Cosquín (Argentina). Se utilizaron trampas de latón con cebo animal: anfibios (sapos), aves (pollos), mamíferos (conejos) y reptiles (tortugas). El 92,9% de los especímenes recolectados pertenecen al género Culex, mientras que un 7,0% corresponde a Aedes y el 0,02% restante a Psorophora ciliata, única especie que se capturó de ese género. En trampas con pollo se recolectó el mayor número de hembras (68,7%), siguiendo en orden las trampas con conejos (29,9%), con tortugas (0,8%) y con sapos (0,5%), por lo tanto, la mayoría de los mosquitos entraron en las trampas con hospedadores homeotermos. Culex dolosus se alimentó sobre todos los cebos, mientras que Cx. acharistus, Cx. chidesteri y Cx. quinquefasciatus se alimentaron sobre pollos, conejos y tortugas; Ae. albifasciatus, Ae. scapularis, Cx. bidens y Cx. coronator lo hicieron sobre ambos hospedadores homeotermos; Cx. apicinus, Cx. maxi, Cx. saltanensis y Cx. spinosus se alimentaron solamente sobre pollos y Ps. ciliata sobre conejos.

Eggs, immature mosquito collections were made at Cosquin, La Calera ( Chaco phytogeographic region), Villa Allende and Villa del Rosario (Espinal phytogeographic region) during April/September of two consecutive years 1989, 1990. Specific immature habitats in each locality were identified and sampled monthly. Eggs and/or immatures of Aedes albifasciatus, Ae. fluviatilis, Anopheles albitarsis, culex acharistus, Cx. apicinus, Cx. bidens, Cx. coronator, Cx. chidesteri, Cx. dolosus, Cx. maxi, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. saltanensis, Psorophora ciliata and Uranotaenia lowii were collected. Three species (Cx. acharistus, Cx. dolosus and Cx. quinquefasciatus) were collected during the sampling period for all developmental stages. This suggests that immature of these species do not overwinter but continue to develop throughout the cold autumn and winter seasons.