Field and laboratory comparison of hatch rates in Aedes albopictus (Skuse).

Laboratory experiments attempting to elicit a response based on a natural condition rely on the assumption that the laboratory treatment accurately mimics field conditions. With Aedes albopictus (Skuse), laboratory experiments analyzing hatch rates assume that the laboratory stimuli resemble those received by the eggs in field conditions. With the use of a colonized strain of Ae. albopictus, an analysis of the hatch rates comparing both field and laboratory settings was conducted. Additionally, hatch rates were compared for mosquitoes exposed to regular, periodic hatch stimulation (as usually seen in laboratory experiments) and random hatch stimulation (as seen in the field). In both experiments, laboratory treatments were not found to differ significantly from the field treatments, indicating that experimental results achieved in the lab are relevant to field situations.